“Helping one another is part of the religion of sisterhood.”
—Louisa May Alcott

This is one of my favorite quotes on sisterhood, something I’ve been thinking a lot about. Whether it’s sisters by blood or the friends we hold dear, sisterhoods are essential to getting through the good times and the bad.  I always wished for a sister. Though now I have a sisterhood of my own making. And you can, too. Read on for inspiration.

 

I watched and listened in my growing years to the interaction of two sisters, my mother and her sister, my Aunt Essie.Oh, they were so different in personality and lifestyle interests, yet there was no one in the world who could break their bond of sisterly love. After all, they shared the same family, genes, and upbringing. I would listen to them laugh and squabble. I heard them share secrets and give one another advice. At times competition and a multitude of sisterly dynamics ensued, but above and beyond all else, there was loyalty and adoration.

Girlfriends Are The Sisters We Choose

Alas, I am without a sister, but that has not stopped me from sharing myself with women who have become as close as kin to me. And, darling, remember that girlfriends are the sisters that we choose.

Thinking about my sisterhood of close friends, I am beyond blessed by these women who grace my life in so many extraordinary ways. My sisterhood of friends is quite varied. Some give doses of inspiration, one New York friend pesters me to death, some are risk-takers, one is a hypochondriac. Many share their shopping information, some listen and advise, others are role models, one shares all her information and tips and I love that because I share too.

Another is so wise. Quite a few have shoulders I can cry on one minute and laugh with the next. There are friends who update me with their gossip because I am almost always the last to know. And there are a few who are my chosen friends for everything.

Upon First Meeting Your Sisterhood

I read today that when two women meet for the first time, they each know within five seconds how they feel about one another. I thought about the statement and I believe it is true. Don’t you feel those vibes?

In writing about what I find attractive in my sisterhood of girlfriends, I know they each have their own beliefs, values, and opinions. Nevertheless, they mirror me in one way or another. And if I put all their characteristics together, they would make up a composite of who I am. This leads me to acknowledge that for any of us to have a sisterhood of friendships, we first and foremost must be true to ourselves!

Sometimes you know someone will be part of your forever sisterhood the moment you meet, but other times you may not realize how much you have in common until you get to know them better. Try these wonderful ice-breaker questions to ask your girlfriends, the next girls’ night out (or in).

Our Eccentricities Give Us Color

We all have eccentricities. Eccentricities are the parts of us that do not necessarily fit our familiar pattern.

My father was a businessman who dreamed of owning a farm. He loved nature and thus envisioned that he would become a gentleman farmer. He allowed his dream to be stifled. Don’t stifle yours. Like my father, we all have two sides that make us whole. My father had his designation; he was a businessman. He also had a colorful, marvelous side: his dream to be a gentleman farmer.

Our colorful side, our eccentricities, are interests that don’t necessarily match our friends and family. This is what makes us unique and gifted.

Really Ask Yourself What Kind of Sisterhood You Need

What did you want to be when you were a little girl? Really think about it. Is it stifled within?

When your hidden desire becomes your reality, join a sisterhood with a community to match. This will undoubtedly help you on your journey as you encounter a new group of women while you seek out your desire.

One thing I loved to do pre-COVID-19 was walking with strangers during my morning walks with my pooch America. One stranger I met was named Maria. I marveled at her. She was a Brazilian and an interpreter who married a Swede. Together, they live in Sweden. At the time she was spending two weeks in America because of her work. I approximate she was in her 60s.

Remember to Unwrap Your Colorful Side

We all have distinctive characteristics that are colorful. We also have our taupe side: our stability. Oftentimes, our colorful side is kept under wraps; it lays quietly, dormant in our souls. Unwrap your colorful flair by joining a different type of sisterhood that will help awaken your burgeoning desires within you.

It is never too late to feel your bloom. Joining a sisterhood will enhance your lifestyle. Joining a different type of sisterhood will also open a new world. If you would like, come join my private Facebook group, Celebrate Life After 50. You will meet so many wonderful women there, and you won’t even need to leave your home!

A New Path

It takes emotional energy and drive to walk a new path. But, when I try something new I am also energized because I can imagine how I will feel after I go through the process of learning.

So, seek out different types of sisterhoods and enhance your life by fulfilling a dream you have been carrying in your soul. Dare yourself to dare. Never retire your dream. And who knows, you may meet a new woman who in five seconds you realize will become a kindred sister.

—Susan Honey Good

More on Honey Good

 

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