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Other essays on this theme
Essay: "Loyalty"My earliest loyalties were to blood kin â€" my family. It was what I was taught. Those family ties came untied when I put a needle in my vein the first time. It took years to realize it and accept the loss of all I had ever held dear. Without the anchor of family my loyalties shifted to the ladies that paper the walls of my existence. Most were undeserving and gave back little in return. The truth of loyalty has been taught to me by a special friend. She is there for me, "Until the wheels fall off," even when I fall short of every goal I set for myself and all our shared expectations. I feel the least deserving when she proves her loyalty. Nothing I've ever done could earn what she does for me. Nothing I could ever do would cause her to give up on me. My early definition of loyalty required me to earn it. Later, I gave it freely where it wasn't appreciated. Today, I'm a recipient of loyalty that puts to shame every version I ever experienced. It is for me to live up to this special gift. And if I don't, it'll still be mine. |