The Unbreakable Promises

There are two people in my life that I love in an incomparable way,
My sister and my girlfriend.
I’m thankful for both of them every single day.

My sister has been with me through every endeavor and hardship I’ve faced. The highs, the lows, the downs, the ups, the weakest and the darkest, and the happiest moments of my life. The relationship I share with her is one of the things that I value most in my life. She has helped me through experiences and her love and support have saved me from my darkest hours. So many times, her words have brought tears to my eyes or a smile to my face. And through it all, I know I wouldn’t have survived without her.

There are few, if any, people who have impacted my life more than she has. She has helped shape me into the person I am today, through the tears, the laughs, the vacations, the late-night movies, our wild adventures in the woods, and all the small moments that I will continue to cling on to for the rest of my life.

She always seems to have the perfect words for every problem. She wrote me this when I was going through a rough time, trying to find my love life. I have since laminated it and I use it as a bookmark now.

“They say that love is blind,
Erasing difference to form connection
Like it is impossible to love
Beyond the comfort of your own reflection,
But there is beauty in our difference.
It’s color breaks through monochrome.
And it’s taught me there’s a world
That’s so much more than just my own.
No. it’s fear that sets the whole world
Blind and groping without sight.
It’s fear, with its great gnashing maw,
That drives us from the light.
But love, in its diverse designs,
Breaks shackles, sets us free.
For to love, through we are best by darkness,
To love is to truly see.”

For sixty-seven days, (Yes, sixty-seven days, I counted!) she slept by my side to protect me from myself. There were nights where I grew annoyed with her, yelling, and even pushing her out of my room yet she still slept right in the doorway and kept watch over me. Then there were other nights were I just need a shoulder to cry on. I can’t tell you how many times I fell asleep with my head on her tummy, her hand combing gently through my hair. To this day, I still have the utmost respect for her. I put a fifteen year old girl through hell. Each and every night, she laid by my side and watched me until I fell asleep. Sometimes we’d talk, other times it would be complete silence. She refused to fall asleep until I had my eyes closed. Even after I garnered her trust and she began sleeping in her room, she’d still check on me every few hours, setting different alarms on her phone throughout the night, just to check if I was okay. And as a teenager with school, work, a boyfriend, and sports to worry about, I was still on the top of her priority list.

Friday night, with my mother consent, my sister and I got tattoos. I’ve always wanted a small tattoo, but of something with meaning, I can’t think of a better meaning. My sister and I both got “I will keep you safe” on our foot. It is only a small phrase, but it is a powerful promise that I will hold for the rest of my life. While Aleah has already kept that promise, I will continue to honor it. I will always be there for her...day or night. I want nothing more in life than to keep her forever safe and happy. She gave me my life, and that is a gift I will never be able to pay back.

By the way, I changed my profile picture to our tattoos if you'd like to see them!

Love,
~Lia