The term “blood is thicker than water” is one that I grew up hearing from various sources around me. It was emphasized that family, through blood, is more important than friendships, regardless of how strong these companionship bonds are. When friendships around me failed or people could not rely on their acquaintances for support and encouragement, the phrase would be used. When children would come home from school dejected and saddened by the actions of their classmates, their parents would use this phrase to remind them that the only people they could rely on were their family members. When fights would occur between family members, this phrase would be brought up once again. However, this saying became a paradox for me. My blood relatives have never been very supportive of me with the exception of my mother. I could not rely on any of my blood relatives in the ways that the people around me could. Nor could I rely on them in the ways I could rely on my close friends.
As I began to research the origins of this saying, I found a major discrepancy between the way we interpret this saying now and how we did in the past. The saying “blood is thicker than water” originates from the proverb “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” Thus, our modern interpretation of the axiom is entirely the opposite of what it is intended to mean. In the original meaning, the "water of the womb," or our family relationships, is not as strong as the "blood of the covenant." The blood represented is not the blood shared by family, but rather actual blood shed by soldiers on the battlefield. Thus, the saying reflects that blood shed between brothers of war makes for stronger bonds than those of the family you happened to be born into. The blood also refers to how historically people used to make blood covenants in which they would make promises by cutting each other and mixing their blood together. Although this fact is extremely gruesome, it reveals the true strength of deep friendships. This made me realize that what I had been claiming, that blood really was not thicker than water, was a lie. Blood IS indeed thicker than water, and here is why.
I never grew up with a compassionate extended family. To this day, they have never taken part in events in my life or experienced my milestones. I cannot say it doesn’t hurt to not have these people in my life that share the ‘water of the womb,’ but there have been so many people in my life that have worked to make up for this absence. It is in these relationships that I recognize the strength in the promises and the bonds of friendship. Whether it is in the late-night deep conversations with my best friends or the dinner dates with my adopted “auntie” Monica or sharing a prayer with my mentor in faith, Cindi, and so many more experiences with so many people that have impacted my life, I feel so loved. The bonds shared between friends should be not only recognized but cherished for a lifetime.
