The unbreakable bond of Sisterhood is one that I can confidently rely to hold me up whenever I feel weak from the complexities of Life. The Laughter and Comfort of my Sisters feeds my inner soul whenever I am hungry for encouragement and support. My Sisters encourage me to walk tall and confidant while on this journey called life.
Sisterhood begins first with how I see myself and what I have to offer to the community of women I encounter.
Sisterhood does NOT necessarily mean “friendship”. Sisterhood is a mutual respect and responsibility to take care of those in the community. It is not in our God given nature to disassociate ourselves from one another as women. As women we each carry our own unique divine energy that can be extremely powerful as a Unit. Recognizing the power in another woman should empower you to recognize the Power within yourself.
We are not put in the World to receive but to GIVE.
Sisterhood requires giving unconditionally with no expectation to receive anything in return. Sisterhood is about putting in the work and reciprocation. When you are truly operating under this philosophy you will find yourself surrounded by kind, beautiful, strong and loving women. You will find yourself offering acts of service to another woman because there is a shared commonality that brings you together as women, not necessarily friends or family relation.
Sisterhood requires us to look at the whole person and take in to consideration the reason for the behavior.
In high school there were girls I encountered that had made up their mind about me, although they had never had a conversation with me. They had never been to my house or hung out with me but their opinion of me was formed based on how I walked and how I looked. In 1986 my perception of Sisterhood began to form and shape based on my experiences from the treatment of the women I encountered. “I don’t like her; she is conceited; she is stuck up; she thinks she’s cute”.
I remember the pain as I cried to my mother and grandmother asking “why don’t they like me?’
32 years ago, long before the term bullying, we were taught, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me”! So I was instructed to hold my head up, walk tall and ignore those girls. My maternal grandmother doing the best she could to encourage said: “If they are talking about you they are thinking about you”.
We have to unlearn what we have been taught. We have to detox and unclutter our brains from the pains of the past.
Our definition of Sisterhood cannot be limited to and defined by the negativity or pain we have experienced from those around us who simply do not know better.
Moving Forward, don’t believe the Hype! Sisterhood Reality is not the “television reality”. Sisterhood must not be defined by our past relationships with the women that have hurt us, left us, or disappointed us. Sisterhood is much bigger than our biology, DNA and family of Origin.
Make a conscious effort to find the good in every woman you encounter. We are simply reflections of each other. You are a reflection of the women around you. The words you speak out of your mouth about other women are a reflection of who you are. Thus, if you feel you cannot trust your sister, then ask yourself can you be trusted? If you feel she is jealous of you, ask yourself, who are you jealous of? If you are annoyed by her flaws, reflect on your personal self-talk and how you view your flaws?
Sisterhood is revealed and experienced from your Soul.
The Divine Essence within us that allows us to see the God in every woman we encounter. There is a foundation of trust knowing that this is your responsibility to the community of women in your life.
Sisterhood is taught and led by example. Pastor LaQuetta Simmons teaches the Women she leads: “I don’t care if you like each other, but you must LOVE each other”.
When you know better, you do better. My Sister DO BETTER!
