A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,
drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother.
As they talked about life, about marriage, about
the responsibilities of life and the obligations of
adulthood,the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass
thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her
daughter.
"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the
tea leaves to the bottom of her glass."They'll be more
important as you get older. No matter how much you love
your husband,no matter how much you love the children you
may have,you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to
go places with them now and then; do things with them.
And remember that
"Sisters" also means your girlfriends, your
daughters, and other women relatives too.
"You'll need other women. Women always do." 'What a funny
piece of advice!', the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just
gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world?
I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup.
Surely my husband and the family we may start will be
all I need to make my life worthwhile!'
But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with
her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the
years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came
to understand that her Mom really knew what she was
talking about. As time and nature work their changes
and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the
mainstays of her life.
After more than 45 years of living in this world, here
is what I've learned:
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes. Life happens. Distance separates.
Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't call when they say they will. Hearts break.
Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Careers end.
BUT -
Girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther
away than needing her can reach. When you have to
walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by
yourself, your girlfriends will be on the valley's rim,
cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you,
intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at
the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules
and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, daughter-in-laws, sisters,
sisters-in-law, Mother, aunties, nieces, cousins, and
extended family, bless our life! The world wouldn't be
the same without them, and neither would I.
When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had
no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay
ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.
Pass this on to the women who help make your life work.
I just did.
drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother.
As they talked about life, about marriage, about
the responsibilities of life and the obligations of
adulthood,the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass
thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her
daughter.
"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the
tea leaves to the bottom of her glass."They'll be more
important as you get older. No matter how much you love
your husband,no matter how much you love the children you
may have,you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to
go places with them now and then; do things with them.
And remember that
"Sisters" also means your girlfriends, your
daughters, and other women relatives too.
"You'll need other women. Women always do." 'What a funny
piece of advice!', the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just
gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world?
I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup.
Surely my husband and the family we may start will be
all I need to make my life worthwhile!'
But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with
her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the
years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came
to understand that her Mom really knew what she was
talking about. As time and nature work their changes
and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the
mainstays of her life.
After more than 45 years of living in this world, here
is what I've learned:
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes. Life happens. Distance separates.
Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't call when they say they will. Hearts break.
Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Careers end.
BUT -
Girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther
away than needing her can reach. When you have to
walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by
yourself, your girlfriends will be on the valley's rim,
cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you,
intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at
the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules
and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, daughter-in-laws, sisters,
sisters-in-law, Mother, aunties, nieces, cousins, and
extended family, bless our life! The world wouldn't be
the same without them, and neither would I.
When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had
no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay
ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.
Pass this on to the women who help make your life work.
I just did.
