Women face unique challenges and life struggles.
Whether it’s societal expectations, personal traumas, or the demands of everyday life, it can be easy to feel alone in our struggles. But what if I told you that there’s a way to find strength, support, and sisterhood in the midst of our challenges?
When writing WOMEN GOING SOBER: An Empowerment Guide for Women Going Alcohol-Free and Embracing Being a Non-Drinker, I was reminded of the power of sisterhood and community in overcoming addiction and living a fulfilling life.
Through online support groups, in-person meetings, and personal relationships, the brave women who provided testimonials for WOMEN GOING SOBER found the strength and courage to overcome addiction and live a life of purpose and fulfillment.
But sisterhood isn’t just about overcoming addiction. It’s about supporting each other through all of life’s challenges, whether big or small.
It’s about being there for each other when we need a listening ear or a helping hand. It’s about celebrating each other’s successes and cheering each other on through life’s milestones.
Being part of a sisterhood means having a support system of women who understand your struggles and are there to encourage you and lift you up. It means having a safe space to share your fears and vulnerabilities, and to receive the love and support you need to overcome them.
One of the key themes, when I speak of sisterhood, is the idea that women are stronger together.
I encourage women to lean on each other for support, to share our struggles and triumphs, and to be there for each other through thick and thin.
By building deep and meaningful connections with other women, we create a network of support that can help us navigate life’s challenges and achieve our goals. We can broaden our understanding of the world and grow as individuals.
Sisterhood means being surrounded by women who inspire us, challenge us, and help us become the best version of ourselves.
My Story of Sisterhood
For me, having a close circle of Soul Sisters in my life right now who are there when I need a true friend to hold me up, or shake me up, is pure gold. But I wasn’t always this way.
Married for almost four decades, when it came time to muster up the courage to leave my narcissistic husband, I had no close friends to reach out to in the aftermath of that devasting decision. I found myself alienated from my three sisters who lived only an hour’s drive away.
My only option was to go it alone. I’d sit by myself in my car or walk along an isolated beach weeping uncontrollably, sometimes weighing up how much more pain I could bear. It was the loneliest place on the planet! And, in the absence of sisterhood to help me grasp my options and talk things out, my decision-making processes were skewed.
Realising I did NOT have steadfast women in my life I could lean on was a pivotal moment for me!
I knew, in order to have any chance of creating a new life for myself, I needed loving, uplifting women in my corner.
And, in answer to my prayers, my three sisters stepped back into my life. They would camp out at my place for the weekend, yabbering into the early hours of the morning, drinking lots of Prosecco sitting on my deck under the stars, and sharing a bed as we did as kids.
Mid-2022, I went through a relationship breakup that blindsided me. It ended quickly and sent me into heartbreak freefall. I felt this intense, all-consuming fear and spiraling anxiety as my dreams with ‘him’ fell away.
On learning that I’d broken up with my partner, my sisterhood — in Victoria, New South Wales, and New Zealand — reached out and never let me go until I gave the all-clear I was going to be ok. They’d call every day, sometimes twice a day, to check in.
Thanks to my sisterhood, I got back up within days.
It was the first time I had a sisterhood to embrace me, hold space for me, and care about me. And that’s saying something when you reach your sixties.
So much the wiser, these days I very consciously invest in and move mountains to support the women in my sisterhood I care deeply for.
Final thoughts: Where to Find Your Sisterhood
In those early days after my separation, I joined local Meet-Up and Community groups (hiking, book clubs, Friday night social gatherings, board games, etc.) and my social life took off!
I found myself partying or walking alongside inspiring women who, like me, were making their way through life, not always with confidence, not always with grace. They were authentic and irreverent, and, in their company, I transformed from a timid broken-hearted woman into a vibrant ‘soul-sister’ who reclaimed her self-confidence and inner joy.
So, to all my gorgeous readers out there who are feeling alone in their struggles, know that there are phenomenal women on the periphery of your life just waiting to offer their support and friendship the minute you open your heart.
Remember to make this journey special to you. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in each month as you read and reflect on my letter to you.
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With Much Love and Sisterhood,
