The Ride | Sisterhood

DEFINITION: An association, society, or community of women linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.

I will be leaning into the power of expansive support between women. Admittedly,  it is a tricky topic for me because in my heart, I believe most women are willing to be a cheerleader for other women, to step up and amplify each other's brilliance, but there are many others who are not willing for their own reasons and the internalized patriarchal culture that teaches us women to fear one another. These messages include things like ‘other women can't be trusted when it comes to your man because she's out to get him’ or ‘women must cater to the men in the room because the men are entitled to it and women don't have anything to offer to the discussion’. I could go on and on with a list of examples but I don't want to fan those damaging flames. Instead, I want to reflect on how marvelous it is when we engage and lean on the women in our lives to live out our best lives and how we can reciprocate that support.

A great starting point is to ask a dear lady friend how she's really doing and just listen to what she has to say. Ask her about what brings joy to her life and ask how you can support her to encourage more of that joy to come into her life. Send a ‘thinking of you’ text, note, email or even a phone call - just because. What a lovely way to help someone feel seen, especially if they're struggling. Celebrate her wins and successes directly with her and publicly, if she is comfortable with it. We women learn to avoid celebrating such wins because we learn that bragging is not okay. Why not celebrate an amazing accomplishment when men do it all the time! I think it is pure malarchy to keep silent about such things because not only do we share our essence of greatness out loud for others to bear witness it as a good thing to do, it can also inspire other women to pursue their dreams by hearing about your successes.

I believe in the power of collaboration whether it be socially, professionally, or civically. I don't know about you but to share an experience with others bolsters my motivation to do good in the world. It also provides an opportunity to learn new perspectives. The core message of this topic for me is to entice you, dear reader, to stop doing everything all by yourself and ask for what you need. It's also equally important to set an example for other women that there is nothing to fear about one another unless proven otherwise. Together we can dismantle this untrue frame of reference that we are out to get each other in some way. Instead we can demonstrate a message of solidarity that we each want to help support and bear witness to our individual success. We can start a movement based less on competition and comparison, and more on collaboration.

Each of us is magnificent and a giver at heart. Let's scream that message out to the world by leading the way one relationship at a time. We can leverage our individual power to create bold and transformative collective power to not only change the world but our own individual experience that leads to living our best lives.

Personally, I do rely on my lady friends for many things as I'm a single person and live alone. I recently heard that loneliness is an epidemic especially for older adults and certainly after the pandemic. Perhaps we have lost some of our skills and interest in making friends and cultivating meaningful connections with our neighbors, but it is imperative that we take the initiative to reclaim it.

By supporting one another, cheering each other on, I believe it will elevate a common good, a philosophy to help create a world of loving care for others. So let's start at the beginning, creating our circle of friends and connections with clear intentions of supporting one another.

We simply cannot go at this living thing all on our own for obvious reasons. Imagine having a network of cheerleaders quietly - or loudly- cheering you on as you make the life of your choosing happen in the way you seek. Imagine feeling your own joy of supporting another broad on her way to realize her dreams, too.

As the saying goes, what goes around, comes around. Let’s spread something meaningful, loving, and life-changing: messages of support and celebration for the women we know and cross paths with in our everyday experiences!

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Photo Credit: Joseph Pearson