Stories of Sisterhood

[littleowl33]

This is such a sweet thread! I loved reading all these stories... it really reaffirms why going Greek is such a great thing

I have a few. My first one is just a little thing - when I first became a New Member, I was really depressed because of problems with my newly-ex-boyfriend. I left a really sad away message on AIM one day, and returned to my computer to find that an older sister who I hadn't had much contact with had sent me a long message, saying she didn't know what was wrong but wanted to help me through it. She also sent me an mp3 file of a song she said had helped her through some rough times. I listened to it and it really did help - to this day, its one of my favorites. I just remember being blown away by the caring shown to me though I had only known these women for a week or two.

Last summer, I was at work when my Big called me to say my Little had called her in tears. My Little had lined up an amazing internship in a nearby city for the next month, but when she arrived that day, her housing situation had fallen apart. Now she was probably going to have to lose the internship and return home. My Big and I weren't going to let that happen - between the two of us, as well as a number of other sisters, we found her a place to stay for the month and she was able to keep her internship. It was especially memorable because her mom - also a Kappa - was so touched by how strong our sisterhood was.

The final story is actually from another chapter on our campus. A few years ago, before I was on campus, their president was murdered in her apartment. Though I never knew her I still hear about her a lot, and their chapter website has a special page dedicated to her memory. I think it shows a lot about their sisterhood that years after her death, she's still remembered on campus - even by those who didn't know her.

[AlwaysSAI]

Last year (May 2007-April 2008), I lived in an apartment that I affectionately call the "water log". The place flooded 7 times for 7 different reasons in the barely 11 months I lived there. The last flood (& the one where I told the landlord to shove it) happened because our water heater busted. The water heater was right next to my bedroom so all of my stuff was undoubtedly ruined, my computer fried (thank gosh I had renter's insurance). The water also spread all over the apartment, so my roomie's stuff was also ruined. The apartment complex made the decision NOT to call myself or my roommate and when I got home I saw the water extractor and just knew my unit had flooded again. The landlord came running out of the office (& by now, knew us by name), called me over and told me. She also said she would refund the entire months rent & our full security deposit without a walk through.

Either way, when they come in to take care of the water problem they make a huge mess & then just leave. I was so mad I was in tears. I called one of my pledge brothers, told her that the place had flooded again and she came right over. She brought me food, gave me a key to her apartment, and loaded up a bunch of my stuff in her car. She opened her home to me and let me sleep on her couch, eat her food, etc for about 4 days. She also stored about 20 boxes of my stuff at her place for almost 2 weeks.

I reserved another apartment (far far away from the water log) in January, so I just had to call them and move up my move in date. I would not have been able to handle that last flood without her. She really was my saving grace.

[blackandgold55]

This is such a sweet thread! I have sooo many stories but one that most sticks out in my mind didn't even involve me but one of my pledge class sisters, She had scored a dream job in New York and we were all excited for her, but when she got there, her housing had totally fallen through, she was terrified and in this giant city all alone where she knew no one. She called our house mom bawling. Our house mom somehow got ahold of the Theta chapter at Columbia and a couple of the girls from that chapter came and got her and let her stay at the Theta house there (It was summer so they had some extra room) until she found a more permanent arrangement. It was just so unbelievably sweet to realize that even we don't all know eachother we are always sisters and are always there to take care of and look out for one another.

About 3 1/2 years ago, I was rushed to the hospital because of a massive kidney infection. I knew it wasn't life threatening, but it was still very serious because my kidneys were severely infected and I was septic and suffering.

It was the first time in my life I'd ever been hospitalized, so that freaked me out even more. The smell, the IV they hooked me up to, everything. It was tough getting through the first night.

I sent a few texts to some of my sisters and the next morning, a bunch of them showed up with flowers and stayed with me until my mom finished work. I also received a lovely bouquet from greeklawgirl that day. She was so kind enough to send me flowers to cheer me up even though she was in AZ and I was in HI! The rest of my hospital stay just flew by after that. I remember it was such a relief to know that I wasn't alone.

Looking back, it's not just limited to that hospital experience. I don't know how many times I've called my sisters crying because something bad happened and they were always there to listen even if I didn't make any sense. I'm also so thankful for my sisters in the Panhellenic family. From Tri Delta to AXO to Alpha Phi to DG to Gamma Phi Beta to Pi Phi to Phi Mu to ZTA...the sisterhood they've shown me over the years is truly a blessing.

I haven't always been good at showing my gratitude to these women and I know I definitely need to change that. My life is a total 180 from how it used to be and I have these women to thank for helping me get here.

[OhTheAlphaTau]

every year we have an annual meeting in the fall, where we conduct most of our important business. this year, our meeting was almost 6 hours long. during our break, one of my pledge sisters got a text that her bf had just attempted suicide. we were initiated in the Spring, so most of the alums (and the alums who are new advisors) do not know us that well. my pledge sister, and another of my pledge sisters who is very close to her and her bf, got up and left the meeting extremely upset. they were going to drive themselves to the hospital but could not even speak through crying. an alum who doesn't know any of us, drove them to the hospital. that gave me hope through our meeting. at that moment, we took a break to pray... and pray we did. he is fine now, and much happier.

[DoveloveSigma]

My stories don't really involve me directly, but they are what I think of when I think of sisterhood...

I'm sure everyone knows of the shooting at Northern Illinois University. Obviously, people all over the states were in shock but it hit home for college kids in Illinois because if you went to high school in this state you know atleast 1 person that goes to the 7 major Universities. (Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, U of I, NorthWestern, U I C). I'm not sure if it's like that in all states but it was here! On top of that, Illinois is a very strong state for Sigma Kappa and we have chapters all over the state, including Northern...

With that bit of background goes my stories. When the shooting occured, at my college along with most in Illinois there was mass chaos as everyone was trying to get ahold of friends/family at Northern. Alot of us met at the chapter house, just to find out if any of our girls knew anyone personally involved. We did! My big's best friend was shot multiple times. It took her awhile to find out (I'm sure everyone is aware of the chaos that ensued about trying to get information out with jammed phone lines, trying to find out who was amung the injured..etc). My big's best friend was actually shot numerous times and wound up being the last to be released from the hospital. My big rushed to Northern that night when she found out to stay with her best friend. We all kept in contact with my big to check on her. She stayed with her a few weeks. We sent food and cards, not only to my big to make sure she was doing alright herself, but for her friends family! When she came back to school she was crying when she thanked us.

We also found out there were Sigma Kappa's injured in the shooting. I know one of my sisters at that school- she said the amount of outpouring from chapters all over the states was amazing! They had phone calls/emails/cards sent to them galore, and alumni came back to help the chapter deal with the aftermath. Along with cards/flowers/ and I don't know all what else was sent to the two sisters that were injured.

[agzg]

Thanks for bumping this thread! Some of you already know what my awesome sisterhood story is (because some of you were involved in it!) but I'm going to tell it anyway.

My mom was diagnosed with cancer on December 15, 2006. She had been in the hospital for about a week and a half before her diagnosis, and I had been suffering through my first finals as a grad student at the University of Pittsburgh, 4 hours away from home. I posted about her illness on my LJ (which, when I first posted, could have been quite a few different outcomes), and immediately got a flood of comments and well wishes from sisters (many who I have never met but feel like I know). Those sisters from my chapter who read my update notified the actives and recent alum from my chapter, who were instructed to "wait for instructions" about what to do.

When mom was diagnosed with bladder cancer, I think I posted that night. My sisters, both online and IRL were with me every step of the way. They cried with me when she was diagnosed or when we went through a tough time (I think the hardest was finding out that a tumor had grown in one of her femurs, breaking her leg and rendering her mostly bedridden) and cheered with me when it seemed like mom was making a turnaround (the doctors shrunk that tumor for a time, mom actually stood up for about a minute once, and it made me the happiest girl alive). I was able to not only lean on my sisters for support, but many of their families opened up their homes to me. In fact, one family in the Pittsburgh area offered to fly me from Pittsburgh to NY, where my mom's hospital and subsequent nursing home was, just in case I needed to get there faster than the 4 hour drive permitted. I never actually used it, and so I don't really know how my sisters' parents (both members of my chapter, both close friends) were able to work that, but I have no doubt it would have happened.

Mom's battle with cancer was (thankfully) short - God claimed her on April 1, 2007. While it hurt to lose my very best friend, the woman who I wished I could be, having my sisters there for me made things a little better. Many of my sisters were unable to attend her viewing/funeral, but 6 of them (half active, half alum) came to her viewing, and two more made the four hour drive from Pittsburgh to come to her funeral. Of course, my sister-mother came for it all, and of course my SIL (aka my Alpha Gam sister-in-law and former roommate and future mother of my neices and nephews) was there. Without these sisters and my two best friends from high school, I never would have even made it to the events, let alone through them.

Sisters that didn't make it sent cards, e-mails, prayers, flowers, and support. They are still offering their support, especially on hard days (Mother's Day in particular), and I know I wouldn't get through a day without them.

As I look up at the family pictures we had taken after mom's diagnosis, I know that I wouldn't even be able to hang them up without the support of my sisters. Thanks, all of you!

[ASTalumna06]

This is just a little something, but it made me smile.

I worked at an amusement park back home for a few summers while I was in college. I was in charge of a small group of rides, and one day I was in the middle of covering breaks for ride operators.

While at one ride, I saw a group of girls wearing AST shirts, and I stopped briefly to introduce myself and to talk to them. It was extremely hot that day, and even if I didn’t say so, I’m sure they could tell that I was tired and I had been running around for the past few hours. I told them sorry, but I had to be getting on to the next ride to cover a break, or I’d be way off schedule.

At the end of covering that short break, as I was leaving the ride, I looked just outside the exit area to find my sisters standing there. They had in their hands a water, a lemonade, a slushie, and a soda. They said that they didn’t know what I liked, so they bought what they could and they let me choose what I wanted.

I thanked them a million times

[BetteDavisEyes]

ASTalumna06, that was a very sweet story. It made me smile when I read it. That's what sisterhood is all about.

[simpinya]

It took me all semester to yank myself out of a physically/verbally abusive relationship. I told my sisters about it the night before initiation, and they didn't judge me for not being strong enough to leave - instead they comforted and supported me. They let me know that I wasn't in it alone. Heck, they even offered to round up the chapter to take him on if I needed it and beat him down with stilettos. Knowing I had such an amazing support group allowed me to have an unbelievable initiation day, because for once I didn't have to worry about boyfriend making me feel worthless.

Fast forward one month. I was able to distance myself a bit from boyfriend a bit by immersing myself in sisterhood events, PR, etc. for the sorority. The relationship kept getting worse though, but I was able to finally break up with him. That night, we had a recruitment workshop and I told them that I had finally left him. The amount of support I received was absolutely astounding. I don't think I would have been strong enough to stay away from the man I honestly thought I would marry if I didn't have my chapter's support. My Big was absolutely thrilled when I told her - it made me realize that I had made the correct decision. Reactions like hers have given me the motivation to stay away from him instead of slipping back into the abuse cycle.

My sisters saved me from him, and have been great about helping me rebuild the self-esteem he crushed. I am so thankful for my sisters. <3

[ILoveKD!]

this is adorable

[WhiteDaisy128]

My story of sisterhood is quite long, and some of you already know it if you've been around Greek Chat long enough. It was just published in Delta Gamma's ANCHORA (our magazine). The online version can be found here:

http://digital.watkinsprinting.com/publication/?i=9605

My story starts on page 17...on the right half of the page, it's called, "She may have Died, but I am my Mother's Sister."

[ZTABullwinkle]

Originally Posted by WhiteDaisy128

My story of sisterhood is quite long, and some of you already know it if you've been around Greek Chat long enough. It was just published in Delta Gamma's ANCHORA (our magazine). The online version can be found here:

http://digital.watkinsprinting.com/publication/?i=9605

My story starts on page 17...on the right half of the page, it's called, "She may have Died, but I am my Mother's Sister."

As I sit here with tears, I realize what a wonderful relationship you had with your mother and sisters.

[libramunoz]

My story is simple and yet complete. When my Aunt was dx with cancer in 1999, the family huddled around her and we knew that we were going to have to be there for her and do anything that we could with her. Being her neice and I was working at the time, I did everything that I could do to help her.
Fast forward, she was able to survive (breast cancer) and lived until 2003. On my Mom's b-day, Nov 1, 2003, my Aunt had come home from work (and I just happened to be off that day) and said she needed to go to the hospital. From the day that I took her in, she never left. The first weekend that she was in the hospital, her sisters from PDK came into the hospital to visit her. They brought her flowers and candy and something else. Don't remember because I was outside crying my eyes out because of the vision that I had just had about my Aunt. But she was so happy to see them. At the time, she was their chapter president.
They were coming from Ennis (which was where the chapter was located) and at that time, she was in Mexia in the hosp which is about 50 to 60 miles away. When she died 14 days later, after I'd called my Mom at the hospital (I was there with her for the last week of her life and there with her the day she died along with one of her sons holding her hand) and told her I was able to call the Chapter VP and another of the sorors and let her know what happened. They were so sorry and asked if there was anything that they could do to help us. I told them I'd let them know.
At the funeral, all of her Sorors showed up and performed their services for her along with my sorority. It was just so moving to see all of us. Her sisters continued to stay in contact with me and the family after my Aunt passed away. It was hard for me because we are both members of DST and she was my Aunt that I'd known and lived next too on the farm for 21 years. But both my Sorors and hers were so concerned about me and the family that it helped me to be able to pick up the pieces of my life at that time and keep my head from falling into a giant chasm.
FF to 2008. In cleaning out a storage shed on the property, I knew that she had some of PDK's belonging's (since she was the Chapter Pres at the time) I found them again. I was able to call up the current Chapter Pres (and she knew EXACTLY who I was) and let her know that I needed to get their belongings back to them. I was able to meet with her and talk with her and it was like they still wanted to know how everything was going and how the family was--even after 5 years had passed. It was just amazing to see that sisterhood, even through death, can still be present.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by WhiteDaisy128

My story of sisterhood is quite long, and some of you already know it if you've been around Greek Chat long enough. It was just published in Delta Gamma's ANCHORA (our magazine). The online version can be found here:

http://digital.watkinsprinting.com/publication/?i=9605

My story starts on page 17...on the right half of the page, it's called, "She may have Died, but I am my Mother's Sister."

I have read this before, but I re-read it and I STILL cried.