Dear "Sister",
> A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and
> visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage,
> about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood,
> the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned
> a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.
> "Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to
> the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older.
> No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love
> the children you may have, you are still going t o need Sisters.
> Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.
> "Remember that
> 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and
> all your other women relatives too. "You'll need other women. Women
> always do."
> What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought.
> Haven't I just
> gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world?
> I'm now a
> married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the
> family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'
> But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and
> made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after
> another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew
> what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and
> their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.
> After more than 40 years of living in this world, here is what I've
> learned:
> THIS SAYS IT ALL:
> Time passes.
> Life happens.
> Distance separates.
> Children grow up.
> Jobs come and go.
> Love waxes and wanes.
> Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
> Hearts break.
> Parents die.
> Colleagues forget favors.
> Careers end.
> BUT......... Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many
> miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than
> needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and
> you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the
> valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you,
> intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's
> end.
> Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or
> come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
> daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers,
> aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!
> The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.
> When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the
> incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
> would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.