The power of a pinky promise

I always knew a promise was a serious thing. I’ve always made and accepted promises sincerely, just by word. 

A childhood best friend introduced me to the concept of a pinky promise when I was about 10. She asked me to pinky promise her I’d never walk home from the bus stop without her. I kept my promise every day for the rest of the year until we both moved schools. After that, I never forgot the power of a pinky promise and used it every time I had to make a deal.

I didn’t initially understand the importance of a pinky promise because I found it to be a meaningless gesture. But when I saw other kids my age repeat the same motion, I began to understand that it wasn’t just some meaningless action, but a universal concept.

The innocence of pinky promises was something that stuck with me. At the time, those promises felt like they were used on such serious things. Having crushes and keeping secrets in elementary school was a big deal to everyone. 

I started hearing more stories about pinky promises in other cultures from my friends. They told me if a pinky promise was broken in Japan, the one who broke it would have their finger cut off. Typically when pinky promising someone, I always acknowledged that breaking it would hurt me. 

Having a pinky promise broken has caused me a great amount of sadness before. If it’s acknowledged that something small might mean something special to me, the idea of someone breaking it hurts me.

Making a pinky promise became the most sincere way of commitment in my eyes, and if someone were to break it, it was like being betrayed. I can count the number of times someone has broken a pinky promise on one hand. 

I always made someone pinky promise me if I had a hard time believing they were genuine. A pinky promise is how I can tell the difference between whether someone is being truthful or just joking around. 

Even though I learned the concept when I was just a child, the pinky promise has stayed with me as I’ve aged. My family began associating the concept of a pinky promise with me. Even my mom, who doesn’t see the point in pinky promises, began using them because she knows how much I value them.

When I was around 13, I pinky-promised my mom that I would work as hard as possible in college to have a stable future. I promised her I would maintain a good work ethic and always put in the effort regardless of how I might feel. That singular pinky promise has largely influenced my decisions and will be the driving factor in my ongoing journey. 

There have been instances where I wanted to indulge in behaviors that may not have been beneficial for my education. There have been days where I’ve been burnt out from overcommitting, not seeking help when needed and overindulging in distractions. I’ve wanted to pick the easy route and be lazy but remembering the pinky promise helped me maintain my academic path academically. 

It might sound silly, but a mere pinky promise is a decent portion of why I push myself further. I see it as a way to dedicate myself to something and fulfill what I’ve promised. When I’m struggling to find motivation or get things done, I often think about the pinky promise. My mom is incredibly special to me, so breaking a pinky promise to her is an unfathomable concept. When I think back to that moment, I get a surge of motivation that forces me to keep pushing.

A pinky promise is a small action but it has become something incredibly meaningful over time. Although pinky promises may seem trivial to many, they hold profound significance in my life and within my family. This simple gesture carries immense weight, shaping the decisions I make and the values I live by.