Loyalty is supporting their cause and jumping off the bridge together with the sincere belief that your combined force against the surface of the water below could make a wave. Loyalty is individually teaching yourselves to swim so you can keep each other afloat.

Loyalty is choosing the ones you love over your own comfort zone. Loyalty is painting your own face so you can follow them into the circus just to make sure that they don’t lose themselves. Loyalty is reminding them that this is not home and the paint does come off. Loyalty is following them on the tightrope so you can catch them if they fall. Loyalty is having their back through whatever shit storm they may have inflicted on themselves and offering them your umbrella instead of your judgement.

Loyalty is mutual respect of each other’s boundaries. Loyalty is loving who they love and avoiding the ones who have hurt them, because believing them and respecting their trauma is far more important than any potential friendship with a stranger. You have to protect the friendship you have already made. You don’t risk burning bridges already built, by being polite and building new bridges with their enemies.

Loyalty is consistency. Loyalty is having faith in yourself and your own judgement of the people who you have allowed into your life and putting in the effort of continuously giving them reasons to stay. Loyalty is the foundation of all that is holy. Loyalty is mutually vowing to always allow each other to carve a home in the safety of your presence.

Loyalty is mutual, therefore it should never be blind. Loyalty is holding yourself to the same standards as you would hold them to. Loyalty is admitting mistakes and accepting the consequences. Loyalty is forgiveness, even when they struggle to forgive themselves. Loyalty is composed of trust and free will, allowing each other to walk away whenever the friendship, relationship, or bond is no longer fulfilling.

Above all else, please remember that loyalty starts with yourself, by setting boundaries and respecting them. How you treat yourself will be reflected in how others will treat you. Be loyal to your own needs, standards, and expectations of other people. Have faith that the ones who are meant to be in your life will follow your example.