Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Sisters are fierce, fragile, and forever!

Spinning Your Gold Blog: Words to Open Hearts and Inspire Actions
Sisters are fierce, fragile, and forever!” - Miss Anon

Part One: My Tribe
While I have one younger biological sister, I am blessed to know dozens of heart-sisters around the globe!

Rewind: One of those precious tribes is my Judson College Sister Tribe pictured above. We’re gathered for a “Step Sing” in Jewett Hall, the main building on campus in Marion, Alabama—Deep South, Y'all.

At the Step Sing each week…
We forgot about school, home, friends, and boyfriend issues.
We lifted our separate voices as one.
We sang silly songs like “Mr. Moon” and emotional songs like Elvis’ “I Can't Help Falling in Love with You.”

For last year's reunion weekend, I was invited back for a book signing and to read Carbonated Holiness, my story in Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Opening to Gratitude and Grace. It’s a story about a spring day my freshman year…driving in the Alabama countryside…daffodils…and feeling included. That afternoon helped me make a life-changing decision: I decided to stay and graduate at this all women’s college founded in 1838.

Now: With mixed emotions, I won't be attending this year's annual reunion of J-Day; business is booming and needs my attention. At the same time, my spirit will be there celebrating my dear roomie, Rhonda Caver Lewis, who's being installed as our alumnae president. 

The J-Day Weekend ends on a somber note; Rhonda, along with hundreds of Judson Sisters, will be attending the memorial services for Dr. David Potts, who recently died. This kind, loyal man faithfully served the college for 30 years in many roles including that of the president. After my reading last year, he surprised me and everyone gathered by presenting me with a single, long-stem red rose saying, "I'm so glad you decided to stay at Judson and to graduate here, Lore." I became a puddle with tears streaming down my face so I don't recall much of what he said after that. I now cherish this memory more than ever.

Yes, my tribe invited me back to tell a story.
Members of my Judson Sister Tribe scooped me up from the airport.
My roomie from 46 years ago and I shared a hotel room, memories, and created new ones. In college they called us the “Odd Couple”—she was Felix and I was Oscar! And yes, there was a Step Sing to wrap up the weekend’s reunion activities. While I sang, I gave thanks for the four decades of friendship from this Judson Sister Tribe who are indeed…fierce, fragile, and forever!

Part Two: Your Tribe
The Future: You might say, “Nice story. This isn’t my experience.” Well, it can be. You can create your tribe or join a tribe.
With social media, there’s no shortage of groups to join.
Check them out.

If it isn’t a heart-match, keep dating!

You’re invited to join the Writer’s VisionQuest, my free, private Facebook group. It's a women's writing tribe where we give and receive resource support to "take our writing somewhere brilliant."

As a result, check out what can happen in two years with sister support! You’re invited to visit my Amazon Author’s page.

P.S. Enjoy the song, We Are Family--I've got all my sisters with me--by Sister Sledge (1979). 
After your comments, please add a link to your group with its intention.

Copyright Lore Raymond, 2018. No portion of the blog post or information on this site may be reprinted, re-used or copied to another site without prior written permission from the author.

10 comments:

  1. My dream is to write a holistic nutrition cookbook. would love to connect with more writers to learn

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    1. How excciting! I have a writing sister who has published a few. Why not join my free, private group, the Writer's Vision Quest? Message me and we'll connect, Joanna.

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    2. That's great Joanna! I would eventually love to write a cookbook as well, I've started writing some of the recipients. Hoping one day it will get published. Getting published seems so difficult, at least my experience so far with things I've submitted.

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  2. Your reunion experience sounds lovely! I feel blessed to have discovered some of my IRL sisters right here in northeast FL and to have reconnected with so many others via social media.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, they are lovely women! Happy you enjoy a similar circle, Andrea.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your experience and memory Lore. That is one large tribe! I am grateful for being connected to so many people throughout the globe through social media.

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    Replies
    1. Indeed, we are blessed to have somany sisters around the globe. I am grateful to know YOU.

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  4. Connecting with other women is so powerful for sure Lore, as is connecting with our tribes. I feel deeply grateful to have so many heart sisters around the globe and am currently serving on an all women's board (for the first time in our 60 year history) at the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship I attend. It is so amazing how much work we get done in the spirit of love and collaboration and how filled up I feel after a 3 hour meeting. It is truly amazing and I am blessed for sure. Thank you for your inspiration and friendship!

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    Replies
    1. We're both so blessed to know and to have been a part of many sister cirlces, Kelley! I am grateful for you and how you show up in the world, I am. xo Hugs, sistah!

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  5. Happily applied to join your group, Lore. And if you or your readers are lit up at the idea that getting through challenging transitions (even the big fat painful terrifying ones) is way easier than you think, let's look at that together in the Reclaim Your Resilience group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReclaimResilience/

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