Women Finding Our Soul-Sisters
Whether you are a super-social woman who is constantly engaging with new people, or more of an internal gal like myself who’s inclined to quiet time; I think we all can become fatigued by our social routines and experience the need for authentic connection with women we are inspired by.
After the birth of my first child, I discovered a whole new aspect of relationships I never expected, a courtship of sorts with other new moms whom I identified with or aspired to be like. Before I even understood why, I felt drawn to connect with other new moms, women I could relate to, learn from and connect with over our common trials and discoveries as we sought to define ourselves in our new role. I was driven to seek out mommy groups and other locations/occasions where I might find candidates. Some of my efforts were the foundation of great friendships and others, well…just weren’t that into me (It happens).
I remember the rush of excitement at being asked for my phone number or to lunch. It was not unlike the butterflies I have with my husband. As we became more skilled at this game, some of my friends and I would celebrate the process as we shared “hitting on” or having been “hit on” by other moms.
As my confidence as a mother and woman grew, there was less of a need for finding women in a similar stage of life or parenthood. But that urge to feed my heart and soul through meaningful connections to women (regardless of age, or family status) has never gone away.
Women are amazing and powerful! We are great at recognizing the wonder and beauty of each other. Perhaps this aspect more than anything is what keeps us coming back. We often fail to fully grasp our own magic, but we are quick to see and celebrate it in the ones we love. It makes sense then that we would want to surround ourselves with other women so that we may see ourselves more vividly – through the loving reflection of girlfriends – while also being that loving mirror for others.
I am grateful to have a diverse mix of soul-sisters in my life. They don’t all know each other, but they all know of each other’s importance in my life. I once described a 25+ year friendship with a girlfriend as if we were two vines wrapped around the same beam, each of us taking turns lifting and supporting the other at different stages of life as we grow and continue our assent toward becoming more.
May we all continue to cultivate relationships with strong women in our life. Soul-sisters are advocates for our dreams, celebrators of our successes and consistent reminders of the extraordinary potential we all hold as women.