Winnie the Pooh on Loyalty

The word loyalty means different things to different people. That may sound harsh and you may disagree but that’s the way it has played out in my life. One could argue: then the person wasn’t really loyal. That’s true, and there’s the rub. There are times when you believe someone is loyal and you find out otherwise. There are other times when someone’s loyalty surprises you, in a good way. 

The word itself is not hard to define:  

Loyal is an adjective. Marriam Webster defines the word as an unswerving allegiance; faithful to a person to whom fidelity is due; faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution or product. Showing loyalty.

Loyalty is a noun, defined as the quality or state or an instance of being loyal.

There are many examples of true loyalty and mistaken loyalty in literature. One of my favorite examples of true loyalty in literature is the relationship between Winnie the Pooh and Piglet in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” books.    

Many authors have used Milne’s characters to illustrate a point (for example: “The Tao of Pooh,” “The Te of Piglet”). That’s because his genius is multilayered in its simplicity.

One of the messages that resonate with me is the way Milne’s characters—living in The Hundred Acre Wood—demonstrate the power and importance of loyal friends. Here are a few of my favorite “Winnie the Pooh” quotes that get right to the heart of what loyal friendship is all about:

~If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.

~Promise you won't forget me, because if I thought you would, I'd never leave. 

~If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.

~If you live to be one-hundred, I hope I live to be one-hundred minus one day, so I never have to live a day without you. 

~We'll be friends forever, won't we, Pooh? asked Piglet. Even longer, Pooh answered.

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This post is in participation with the Group Blogging Experience, and this week’s prompt is loyalty.  If you want to blog with us, go to the GBE2 Facebook page and request to join the group. Everyone is welcome.

Classic Pooh image courtesy of justpooh.com. The pictures are free to use for educational purposes and personal use.