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Stories of Sisterhood
Let's share stories of what sisterhood means - I'll go first.
My grandfather died almost two years ago, leaving my grandmother in Tyler, TX with a great deal of yard work (he was a master gardener back in the day).She told me she was overwhelmed with a number of small jobs that she physically just could not do. I knew we had a Gamma Phi Beta colony in Tyler, so I got an e-mail off to the consultant.We talked on the phone, and the next thing you know, 26 Gamma Phis were at my grandmother's house, mulching the yard, cleaning out the pond, etc. I had never met them; they had never met me. But they are my sisters, and I am so grateful to them for helping my grandmother. Love, labor, learning and loyalty - personified. What's your story? |
That's beautiful...
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Yesterday, as of June 16, 2007 and a long year of planning, my city culminated with the 2007 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. My sorors and I sat on the Race Planning Committee and worked Registration and Survivor's Breakfast.
It was a lot of work, such as getting up at 4 AM and staying around until 2 PM. Here are some pictures below: http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgser...0AZOXDds1YsmLg and http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgser...0AZOXDds1YsmLg I am truly happy as a result. Good idea! |
That is great! Y'all rock!
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I love these types of stories! AKA_Monet, congrats on a great event and gorgeous pictures. Same goes to the Gamma Phis at Tyler, because if that isn't living your ideals I don't know what is.
As for me, I was hit by an drunk driver while I was in college. The driver was older and not a student. Luckily, I was only in the hospital for a week but spent the next few years recovering and going through various surgeries and so on. As soon as my sisters heard about the accident, they came in and decorated my hospital room with get well posters, AOII letters, and pandas and roses *everywhere*. In addition, a lot of my friends in other sororities came in and did the same, so my room was not only AOII but Panhellenically decorated! Virtually my entire chapter came to the hospital on Sunday afternoon after Canoe Regatta (a big intramural thing at my school). My parents, who never really “got” the whole sorority thing, were so impressed to see such an outpouring of love and support from AOII. Same goes for the guy I was barely starting to date at the time (now my DH). Even 20+ years later my mom still comments about how the AOIIs supported me during that time. |
Thanks ladies!
More pictures posted here
Oh, we worked closely with the ladies of Zeta Tau Alpha alumni and undergraduate; as well as the ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. |
Glad everything worked out for you, AOIIalum - and how wonderful to have the support of not only your AOII sisters, but the Panhellenic community!
I hope PNMs read these stories - it is often so hard to portray the strength of our sisterhoods. |
My chapter moved into a new house in fall of 2005.
We were pretty excited to be in our new house, mainly because of the dramatic staircase in the foyer. It was really beautiful, but it was also hardwood and slippery. That summer was hectic because all of our House Tours party plans were made for our old house. So we were working twice as hard during Refinement Week to basically put together a whole new party to fit the new house. This particular day, we'd all been up since 8am trying to work on the line up for House Tours. We were trying to figure out how to arrange girls on the top of the staircase. Background: I have CP, so I am extremely accident prone. :) My Big asked if I wanted to just stand on the bottom, but I'm stubborn, so I insisted that I could line up at the top like everyone else. I made it up to the top just fine. But while I was standing up there, I sneezed, slipped and tumbled all the way down (that's 25 hardwood stairs folks)! When I hit the bottom, I was so shocked that I didn't move, but I remember mumbling that I was fine. Over their screams of "Oh My God", I guess no one heard me. Before I could attempt to get up, my Big and 2 other girls were like "DON'T MOVE". They picked me up, put me in a car, and drove me to the ER. I figured that the rest of the girls would stay behind and finish working on recruitment since classes started the next day. Nope. Everybody got in their cars behind us and came to the hospital too. I was in the ER pretty much all day waiting, getting x-rays and making sure nothing was broken and was pretty sore and miserable. They all stayed as long as they could (before the hospital told some of them to leave). It was nice to know that I had them to hold my hand and take my mind off of the annoyance and misery of being in the ER. I remeber a nurse telling me "Wow, those girls sure do care alot about you to stay here all day." I ended up with a few stitches and sprains-nothing major. The Dr said it could've been WAY worse. I was released later at night and they ALL came with my Big to come pick me up. Over the next couple of days, I had plenty of phone calls, texts, and dorm visits to see how I was doing. When you talk about sisterhood, that's one of the days that sticks out in my mnd. |
I love stories like these! Makes me glad I've decided to throw my hand in in recruitment.
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I have so many stories because every time I have gone through a difficult time in my life, my sisters have been there for me. From the time my dad had a heart attack while I was in college to sisters getting me through two divorces. My sisters were so helpful and supportive last year while my mom was in the hospital. When I've sent out messages on a listserv for recommendations for personal care aides from my mom, I have always had offers of help. When I was very sick and needed surgery, which meant 8 weeks off work at 60% of my pay, as a single mom, I received a SIS grant from our Foundation which helped pay the mortgage. So, my sisters have always been there for me.
There is one time I was especially touched as a collegian. One of our sisters suddenly had to support herself completely because her father was laid off. She was working almost 40 hours a week and going to school full time and thought she was going to have to terminate her membership because she couldn't afford the dues. Well, we weren't having that, so we each chipped in a few dollars every month (our dues were only $24 back then, but heck, minimum wage was $3.35 an hour!) and paid her dues for the duration of that school year. She was able to work enough over the summer to cover things better the next year and resumed paying her own dues. I was really touched by how the whole chapter reached out to her during her tough time. |
Those stories are all so wonderful!
My group is a local, so we're all we have (w. alumni of course) and there are so many times when I was sick (I had severe strep throat more times than I can count, and had to be rushed to the ER when my throat would close) and my sisters would check on me every hour, literally sit and feed me soup and water and watch movies with me for hours on end. When I was so far away from home, that was the best thing that they could have done for me. We've had a few sisters that have lost parents and close friends suddenly and all of my sisters banded together and helped out, went to the funeral, etc.... I feel blessed everyday to have these wonderful girls in my life. |
This has been one of my favorite threads!
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Years ago on Father's Day our small son died in a tragic accident. I cannot express to you the enormous shock and loss this was to both of our families. We were devastated.
I belonged to the Tri-Delta alumnae group in the area at the time. After the funeral members would call, drop by and check on me while my husband was at work. One day some of the DDDs came by with a sweet pansy vase and bouquet as a remembrance. Eventually, his room had to be cleaned out and the little clothes packed away. My husband and I were emotionally unable to do this. My dear Tri-Delta neighbor came over and helped me complete this task in a loving and supportive way. I know I could not have survived that terrible time without the emotional support of my sisters. Both our families were so filled with anguish themselves they could not be the help we needed at the time. Many of these ladies hardly knew me except as a new alumnae member. I remember and am grateful still for the support they gave me during this extremely difficult period. |
These stories are all so great. I have a few sisters that I've become close with that I know I could count on for things like this, but it really makes me jealous that I don't have any stories like these.
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Another story that sticks out in my mind:
One time, while we were away at Retreat (at a camp on a lake), a sister's boyfriend (of 4 years) called and broke up with her. She was devastated. We were out in the lounge of the cabin and we heard her in the back room sobbing. We all went back and she was curled up in a ball on the bed sobbing "I can't believe ____ broke up with me." We didn't know the whole story, we just wanted to make her feel better. A couple of girls drove into the nearest town and got some snacks and ice cream. Some girls had already brought movies so we put one in. We moved all of our sleeping bags into the back room with her and had a slumber party. It didn't solve the problem but at least it made her feel better to know that she wasn't alone. |
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What kind of putz calls his girlfriend of 4 years while she's away on a weekend retreat to dump her? He could have at least had the decency to wait until she returned and sat down with her in person. I'd say 4 years requires a face-to-face breakup! /end hijack |
Its hard to isolate one specific instance to share - there have been so many for me over the years!
My chapter had the unfortunate experience of having a sister die in a car accident on her way back to school after a weekend visit home. She was living in the chapter house at the time also. Seeing the way that everyone bonded together to honor her memory and help each other cope was a very powerful thing. |
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I <3 sleeping! You did GOOD! |
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Sistahood (:
Okay, so this may not seem like much to you guys, but it meant the world to me.
I have CP. A very mild case, but it's still there and it still affects my life in ways I am too stubborn to admit. I'm the clutz of the century and sometimes walk with a noticable limp. Suffice it to say that I can't do much heavy lifting by myself because I don't have to eye-hand coordination or the balance. I am a book junkie. I love to read books, but renting them from the library isn't enough for me, I like to own them. So, I have this enormous book collection and no where to put it once I moved into my new apartment. A few Saturdays ago I went to Re-store to see if I could find myself a bookshelf. Of course, I found myself a very tall, very lovely bookshelf and I immediately bought it. (It was only $20!) I was told that I had a week to come back and pick it up, but I drive a very tiny Saturn. I immediately start calling people. Everyone I knew-Phi Sig bros, coworkers, friends, anyone that could help me move this bookshelf from the store and into my apartment. At around 12p I called Liane, one of the SAIs I'm closest with. She has to be to work at 4p, but says that she would be more than willing to help me move the bookshelf. I took my groceries home, picked her up at about 1p and off to the store we go. We spent some time shopping and once the time came, she helped load the bookshelf into my tiny car, tied it down tightly to the trunk and off we went. We got to my apartment with just enough time to carry the bookshelf inside and then she had to leave for work. It really meant a lot to me that she was willing to give up her Saturday afternoon to help me. It gave me that true feeling of sisterhood because I hadn't talked to her much since summer started. I mean, I had seen her in the lab and talked to her, but we never really hung out because I was always working and she was in class. It just really touched my heart that she sacrificed her Saturday afternoon to help me move a bookshelf-a sister that I hadn't been able to spend much time with. But, I guess, when it comes down to it, that's what real sisterhood is, huh. Helping out a sister, no matter who she is or how often you get to see her, but when she needs you, you are there. |
When I was a collegian, one of the pledge sisters few classes after mine had Cystic Fibrosis. Initially, she hadn't told anyone about and the only sisters aware of it were those involved with Risk Management. Unfortunately, a few days before Initiation she was hospitalized for complications surrounding CF. Needless to say, the word got out about her illness and she was unable to attend Initiation with the rest of her class. She was very upset. At that time we didn't know how long she would be hospitalized for and we knew how much she was looking forward to Initiation. Thinking it would lift her spirits, we made arrangements to conduct her Initiation in the hospital. After several lengthy phone conversations with the nurses on her floor (re if it would be safe for thirty girls to descend on her hospital room) and her parents, we were cleared. It was the week of fall semester finals and the entire chapter carpooled through rush hour traffic in downtown Boston with all of our ritual equipment and surprised her by Initiating her. What it lacked in atmosphere (surrounded by hospital beds and various other pieces of medical equipment), it more than made up for in emotion.
Several years later, after having seen the Installation of a new chapter and many other Initiations and events, that Initiation is by far the most special and moving experience I have had a sister of Theta Phi Alpha. |
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When my aunt past away very suddenly earlier this year (well later 2006) I was in a state of shock. I was home taking off time from school recovering from multiple surgeries.
I text messaged two of my sisters, not wanting to wake them up at 4 AM. When they saw it, after calling me they called every sister and my phone was non-stop with calls from sisters, some that I haven't seen or spoke to in months, if not a year or two. One of them was at the funeral (held the same day) the other one was planning on taking off of work but I couldn't get her a ride. They were all at my house that night, and many of them came back throughout the week (in a Jewish family, there is a week of remembering the dead) and even after that week, they were there anytime I needed it, all of them. My birthday was three weeks later and I was planning on sitting home alone but they dragged me out reminding me it was what she would have wanted..and I know they were right. |
The only problem with this thread - I end up with tears in my eyes! Oh, how I love my sisters - and yours, too!
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Ok last one I promise:
During last recruitment, one of my sister's younger sister was in a really bad car accident on her way back to college. She got the call in between rounds (we have a 30 minute break between pref parties) that her sister had been in a terrible accident (her car was totaled and she had to be cut out of it with the 'jaws of life'). Her parents wanted her to come home right away. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know if her sister would live, we were in the middle of recruitment, and she had no way to get home (2.5 hours away and no car on campus). One of our alumnae, a new volunteer (this was her FIRST time helping with our chapter), peeked her head into the chapter room and asked if we were okay. The sister (in tears) explained what was going on and that she didn't know what to do because she had no way home and didn't want to make another active leave just to drive her (we were in the middle of recruitment). The alumna asked where she lived, she said it was 2.5 hours away. She said, "Get your stuff. I can take you there." She had no clue where this small town in southern OH was, but she was determined to get this girl down to see her sister. They ended up making it down to the hospital. Her sister ended up surviving with a few broken bones and the sister's parents drove her back up later that night just in time for the Bid Night party. |
Luckily, I've never had to deal with a really tragic situation in my life. The time that sisterhood sticks out for me happened when a boyfriend broke up with me.
We'd been dating on and off for nearly a year and although it wasn't a really long time, it was a pretty serious relationship. We were long distance when he broke up with me, and it hit me out of nowhere. At the start of Thanksgiving break, he came down and stayed with me for the weekend and left telling me he "felt like we've never been stronger than we are now." Three days later, after unanswered phone calls and me even resorting to calling his house just to make sure he was OK, he called me at 4 in the morning and broke up with me with absolutely no explanation. I was DEVASTATED. We'd had a very up-and-down relationship but I felt blindsided since things had gone so well when he visited less than a week before. To make things worse, I was left thinking I had done something wrong since he wouldn't give me a reason why he dumped me. I was so upset that I didn't feel like going back to school after break (you know when you're upset sometimes all you want to do is be at home and taken care of). I called one of my sisters on the way back, crying, and told her what had happened. A lot of my good friends were sick of the relationship (like I said, it was problematic) and sick of hearing me cry about him, only to have things back to normal the next day. Nevertheless, this sister realized how hurt I was. When I got back to school, she came over the sorority house with my favorite snacks and a cheerful, thoughtful card. It made me feel so much better knowing that I could count on her and she was willing to listen to whatever I had to say. |
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When I was 19 I had just moved home for the summer after taking alumnae status because I was transferring schools. My parents were out of the state on a vacation and I got a call that my boyfriend had died the night before in his sleep. Within 2 hours I had chapter sisters at my house and my best friend left her boyfriend in a new city he had just moved to with no car so that she could come stay with me. My roommate from the house was in the middle of planning her wedding and she drove up from Iowa and stayed with me for two weeks. I will never forget how many women put their entire lives aside to stay with me and take care of me - from picking my parents up from the airport to coordinating flowers and taking turns calling me, they were absolutely amazing. I've never been prouder to be a Gamma Phi Beta.
This year an undergraduate member of my chapter took her own life and the same support system instantly rallied around her family and boyfriend. My sisters are amazing. |
Oh, GeekyPenguin, I am so sorry for both of your losses - but so glad our sisters were there for you. True and constant friends . . .
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These are truly heartwarming stories.
Many years ago, I was a young, unemployed, single parent. I was living off of food stamps and unemployment from my previous job. I never really talked about my situation to my alumnae chapter sorors, but they new. I went to chapter meeting one day and they surprised me with bags of canned foods, frozen meat, vegetables, and a gift certificate to a department store to get new clothes for my child. That was overwhelming and really reinforced why I pledged my sorority. |
I have mentioned my story before....
In May 2005, following being downsized in mid afternoon, Mr Sageofages suffered a heart attack during the night and as a result experienced something "the drs had never seen before" both high pressure and low pressure acute respiratory failure. Bottom line his lungs filled completely with fluid and he spent 10 days on COMPLETE life support. Ventilator, heart pump assistance everything. The drs told me he was going to die..not *might die*..."going to die, it was between God and Mr Sageofages". I never left his side for all those days (to say he is my world would be not enough). I was terrified to leave. (My parents were with the children)
During those darkest hours, my Phi Mu sisters (on an email list I run) organized a 24hour around the clock prayer vigil where 2 sisters were praying each hour for his well being and recovery, it ended up that they were able to cover 48 hours with the number of sisters who volunteered. (He turned the corner during those 48 hours...still gravely ill but the "will die" became "I think he might make it") He received more cards and letters and a record number of egreetings through the hospital website (the volunteers brought them up with great curiosity who this person would be). I was sitting in the lobby on the phone with a dear dear friend (who was also an attorney asking for advice about how to handle things if the worst happened ...we had a severance agreement that had not been signed.. :( ) when a local chapter president got off the elevator with a care package for me. (I hadn't told any local sisters, who could think?). Apparently another sister on the list living in Columbus OH had called her and alerted my local chapter of what we were living through. I was so surprised to see her, I just burst into tears. She just hugged me while I cried. Mr Sageofages has pulled through (he remembers nothing OF COURSE..and I suffer some PTSD from the ordeal..dealing with ok). During his recovery, we received gifts of gas cards (remember he was freshly unemployed and I was freelancing which equals little income) to take him to his cardiac rehab, and gifts of delicious home bistro meals so I could not stress and the cards poured in. To this day, I believe he would not be here without the prayers of those sisters (and greekchat friends..and family) who cared for us. I know I would have not made it through still reasonably sane without them. |
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I am so glad that everything worked out, and that he is alright. |
One of many sisterhood stories
My sisters have been there through so many different things for me as I have been there when needed.
One that sticks out in my mind is when we drove up from Los Angeles to Bakersfield for our Division Conference. A few of us stayed overnight and when we arrived we were hungry so we stopped at a gas station convenience store to grab a snack. The next morning we head over to the conference and met up with the rest of our chapter and all the other chapters. Just as the conference was starting I got violently ill, no warning whatsoever and I couldn't seem to stop for long. A couple stayed with me in the restroom and called around to see if my HMO had urgent care that weekend close by (Thank goodness they did). These were sisters I didn't even know who stayed with me even with me gettig sick constantly. My Sapphire Sister (big/lil), Ana, took my car keys and drove me to the hospital. While there, sisters I didn't even know were leaving the conference to come by and check on me. After some strong meds to stop me from getting sick and a diagnosis of Food Poisioning (never eaten fast food from a convenience store since) I was ready to go home. The problem was there was no way I could drive myself and it would have taken my parents over 4 hours to come get me. Then I had the problem of my car. Ana volunteered to drive me home even though it meant she ended up missing the whole division conference, her last one before graduating, plus having me in the car periodically asking her to pull over while I fought off getting sick. When we got home for a week or so afterwards I had sisters from all over Caliornia and Oregon calling and emailing to check up on me. Some even sent me get well cards. It really meant a lot to me that people I didn't know cared enough to check up on me. Carolyn |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ My story: My linesister (a girl in my "pledge class") is my "Back" (the girl who walked behind me while we walking in a straight line/queue) had lost contact over the years. But, last year, she found me and emailed me to say she will "always have my back!" I know. But that's my story. |
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And it can be really powerful to be reminded that the close relationships you had can carry over in the present even when you have been out of touch. I can't think of any stories with the depth of the ones here, but they are definitely inspirational. |
these stories are beautiful! mine is that while i was in the beginning of my intake process, my grandmother died. i was upset but not devestated, so i tried to minimize the situation to my dean and not miss our meetings the weekend of the funeral. **a little background: we were an expansion group, so weekends were the ONLY meetings we had. i lived far away, so i would have missed the entire weekend and was terrified that i would be dropped for it** however, when i told her what had happened, she didn't want to hear anything about not going--she made me realize that even though sorors were hard on us during our process, they cared about our physical and emotional well-being more than anything. the day of the funeral, i got a zillion text messages and calls from sorors that i'd never even spoken to before, much less met, expressing their sympathy and asking how i was doing. it was perfectly timed because i was feeling like there was no way i could catch up, and all of it just reinforced to me that this was a group of women i HAD to be a part of, no matter how hard our process got. and i did!
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