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To me, loyalty is one of the greatest characteristics someone can possess. It is essential in any relationship of mine, whether it be friendship or otherwise. I think trust and reliability goes hand-in-hand with loyalty. Let’s put it this way….if someone is loyal to you, then you can trust them. If they are loyal and they have earned your trust, then they are usually someone you can also rely on. I know – some of you may be thinking, this is all elementary. However; it is not as cut and dried as it may sound. First of all; it is not that easy to find truly loyal and trustworthy people.
Yes, we all have some loved ones and friends, but if you really dig deep, how many people would really be there for you in a crisis? How many people in our lives can we completely rely on to just plain show up? You may also think that love should be in this discourse. Generally, it should be. But, as we know, someone can profess love, (that includes family) but not always show loyalty. In my world though, love cannot exist without loyalty. But I digress; this post is primarily about loyalty. I place a very high premium on that trait in a person.
I remember, a very dear person in my life many years ago once said to me…“Don’t you know me well by now, after all these years? If I say I am going to do something, I do it…and if I say I will be somewhere, I will show up.” This exchange came about after he had asked me to meet him in front of my downtown office building, on a busy afternoon after work. I came out of the building and waited for several minutes and he was nowhere in sight. Yes, I admit my trust was overtaken by impatience on that given day in my distant past. The plan was for me to jump into his waiting car, the moment he slowed down at the curb, when I saw him approaching. It was such a busy street, he was unable to stop for more than mere seconds. I waited and waited and then proceeded to walk down the crowded street, headed towards the subway. This was before everyone had a cell phone in their pocket or purse. I got to the subway and called, because my loved one had a phone with him in his car. He said to me….“Where are you?” This is when he made that preceding statement.
I turned around and proceeded back up the street, because he told me he had been delayed by traffic and was on his way. As soon as I saw his car approaching, I hurried and got in. I never forgot that conversation, nor his statement. “Don’t you know me well by now, after all these years? If I say I am going to do something, I do it… and if I say I will be somewhere, I will show up.”
The above statement, to me – embodies loyalty, trust, and reliability in a nutshell. Someone who always backs up their words and promises to you. Someone who you can completely trust and rely on. For me, it also means someone with whom you can entrust your life, as dramatic as that may sound. In this crazy, fast paced world we live in, finding all those traits in someone is easier said than done. Most people are fighting to get as much as they can, and as quickly as they can get it. Loyalty and trust especially, is not a given in all relationships. It is not even a given sometimes, among family members. As with trust, loyalty is something that is gained over time. It does not happen instantaneously and it is a two-way street. You have to show loyalty in order to receive it, I believe. When you do reach that place though, where you feel that loyalty and trust, it is something to be cherished. That special feeling when you know someone always has your back, rain or shine.
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