It is my pleasure to write about the character trait of the month for September, Loyalty.

It is defined as: The state or quality, or an instance of being loyal: Faithfulness to commitments or obligations.

I like what General Colin Powell said, “Loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not” And by this definition I’ll have to thank my father for always being loyal to me, because he always told me, whether I liked it or not!

Loyalty is hard because it means different things to everyone and can be used towards many different things or ideas.  You can be loyal to your school or your town, to your state or your country, to your favorite sports teams, rock band, or your Alma mater.

I think Loyalty, and what it means, changes by generations, as well.  In my grandpa’s day, you looked a man in the eye, shook his hand and gave him your word to something.  And come hell or high water he was loyal to that agreement.  Now we have to sign a 6-page contract to get a cell phone, so we can take pictures of ourselves!

For my dad it was his work.  They gave him an opportunity and he was grateful and worked hard in appreciation of that.  Then they supported him through the years, gave him opportunities to advance and grow his career and for that he was Loyal to them for over 25 years before retiring.  And even though he is retired, he now volunteers his time to them, continuing his Loyalty to help them.

But the most loyal person I know would be my wife, Christy.  When I graduated college we left together knowing we will do whatever it takes for me to advance and grow in my career and so we headed out into the world together.  Through the next 18 years together she has supported me without fail.  Having lived in 6 different cities, in 6 different states, and at last count 14 different houses or apartments, she was loyal in support.

Then in 2011 we had our second child.  As many know, kids are an amazing gift in one’s life and sometimes make you re-adjust your goals and dreams.  So I decided that I needed to be loyal to my own family, so I quit my career of 15 years, because it was taking away from family and I felt I was missing my kids grow up.

So I packed up my family and moved back home to Owasso 6 years ago this past April so we could start over.  And even though we moved back to no job and nowhere to live, my wife was still loyal in total support, never once complaining, griping, angry, or second-guessing; but loyal.

Loyalty can be hard; it can be self-sacrificing or just subject to constant public ridicule in this day of social media.

But loyalty in itself can define who you are as a person.  It shows you can be counted on, you’re dependable, and you’re faithful to someone or something.