The People Who Stay

There’s this story Madea tells, Tyler Perry’s Madea, and since then, it’s stuck with me. She talks about how people in your life are like parts of a tree. It just makes sense.

Some people are like leaves. They show up full of life, full of energy. But when the season changes, when things shift, they’re gone. They were never meant to stay. They had their time, and that was it.

Then there are the branches. You lean on them, grow with them, trust them. Some can hold you for a while, but when things get heavy, they break. Some heal, some don’t. That’s just how it goes.

And then there’s the trunk. The people who’ve stood through every storm and are still standing tall. They’ve been there, year after year, holding steady through the changes. And over time, the ones who keep showing up, no matter what, they become more than just support. They become your roots. You may not always see them, but you feel them. They keep you grounded, even when everything else is shifting. And I’m not talking about just blood. I’m talking about the ones who never needed a reason to stay.

That’s familia.