Sisterhood isn't really something that was a major part of my life, or my vocabulary, until recently. I was very much an introvert (an extremely shy one at that) in my childhood. For a long time, my younger sister was my closest female friend. Over time, I was able to gather a few close girlfriends but most of the examples I had of females in a group resulted in a lot of cattiness and not a whole lot of long-term support for each other.
As an adult, there have been several women that I have made an effort to keep in my world - even as I frequently moved. These women are gold to me. I've known Ann since college - and we have been consistently there for each other as we've gone through so many life events. Jocelyne became part of my world when I wanted to learn about horses, and we have stayed in touch even though we don't get to see each other very often. Rebecca is someone I know will always be there for me, even if it's years between chats.
Some of my newer girlfriends have become part of my life through previous jobs (like Kristi and Kristen) and kept me in their world even after the work connection was no longer there. Others found me through an online community that empowered women and taught us about wealth (Jennifer and Lee). And sometimes friends are a huge part of your life for a while but you drift apart...only to reconnect 15+ years later (Theresa).
What all of these magnificent women have in common is the desire to have a connection, a support system, a way to help each other become the best versions of themselves. But my connection with them all have been a one-on-one friendship - until recently. In the last year or two, Kristen started talking about a "sister circle". Something where women could be connected to each other, to become part of a group. There were a couple of discussions about how we could start such a thing, but nothing ever played out.
At the end of 2022, I got the idea to arrange a girl's trip to wine country. There were four women who came together for this trip: Lee knew only me, and we had met in person once before; Kristen and Kristi worked with me at a previous job, but they didn't really know each other very well. The end of 2022/beginning of 2023 had all four of us going through some tough situations, individually, and I firmly believed that we could all benefit from an escape...an adventure...and some positive outside influences (from each other). The trip to Texas was an experiment for me, one that I believe created positive results for all four of us. I truly believe that we will be there for one another, in whatever capacity is needed, for years to come.
I found a definition of sisterhood that really speaks to me, from the Mexican anthropologist Marcela Lagarde who says that Sisterhood is: “a friendship between women who become allies to work together, a commitment to reach goals whilst feeling free and strong together.”
Over the past few months, the concept of sisterhood has been exemplified even further through my participation in the Alpha Femme community. Orchestrated by Melanie Ann Layer, the community is made up of women from all over the world, of all walks of life and all financial levels. They are there to learn...to support other women...to offer their services and wisdom to anyone willing to connect. For 10 days, earlier this month, Alpha Femme hosted an online summit (concluding a 2-year container of 53 women) where 30+ women have taken the time to share their individual stories, share lessons learned from the previous two years and exemplify what sisterhood can be where everyone up-levels.
I want that...and I want to create that. An environment where women can come together and feel confident in themselves - what they offer, who they are, and what they desire. Whether it is in-person meetings/adventures, monthly group video chats, or just a chat group that allows everyone to support each other... What would that look like to you?
I already have thoughts about my next group adventure! I'm thinking that it might be early 2024, in the Seattle area. The vibe will be luxe. What that looks like, you'll have to stay tuned to find out! Reach out through the "subscribe form" below if you'd like to be updated when details are fleshed out.
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