Enjoy these beautiful thoughts!
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
to 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 mother  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 50 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. Pass this  on
to all the women who help make your life meaningful.
I just  did. Short and very sweet:

There are more than twenty angels in  this world.
Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds. Nine  are
playing. And one is reading her email at  this
moment.

Send this message to ten of your friends  including
me. If you get 5 replies, someone you love  will
surprise you.
 

Happy days!
 
The Rev. Jody  Whelden
Unitarian Universalist Community Minister
Mental Health and  Wellness
Regent Street
Madison, WI 53726
608-347-0237   cell