[BC] Loyalty

As a child, I was raised within a busy yet loving family. Despite my parents leaving me in a day care while they work, I knew their motivation to persevere through their hard work was to grant me a better future. What I didn’t know is that their marriage was falling apart, yet they continue to live together in effort of raising me. Whenever I come across one of their arguments, I would blame one or the other and accuse of them to have an unloving family. I realize that I was completely wrong as I grew up in this fragile family life.

When I entered middle school, I noticed the tensions growing by each day. Once I knew how most other families grew apart due to divorce or separation, I wake up every day, fearing for my parents’ decision to divorce or separate.  Little did I know did my parents continue to live together despite their differences in order to provide me a safe environment. After one of their usual arguments, I asked both my parents their reason for staying despite their threats to leave the household. They more or less stated “other than for you, loyalty is essential for this relationship to continue on”.

Once we moved to Alameda in 2007, their arguments were so rare that I thought they either had a compromise or were on an affair. One night as they were in a heated argument, the police arrived and I was certain that this family won’t last afterwards; however, my mother supported and defended my father as the police continued to question my father as if he committed a crime. I questioned my mother why she defended my father despite how she continuously stated how much she abhors my father. She stated that no matter how much negative comments she brings upon my father, he never did anything to spite her and supported her actions no matter how much he disagreed with her.

As I talked to my aunt and uncle-in law about my parents’ odd relationship, I also questioned whether either would leave one another for someone else. My aunt and uncle stated that if they were ever to separate, whether due to their relationship issues or economic situations, they would never remarry. I knew their answers were honest because they had been together for 30 years.  I always thought loyalty is easy to break apart whenever I see couples breaking up in schools.

Despite my parents’ unusual relationship, both my parents and my aunt and uncle-in law demonstrate a strong-willed loyalty that never broke, not even their empty threats reached each other. One day, I want to learn the true value of loyalty and hope to entrust both it and trust with someone in the future. I know that loyalty is a common trait that anyone can interpret as to apply only in relationships, but I as of now, interpret it as friendship. My loyalty and trust to my few most trusted friends helped me develop a true meaning of best friends.