Once upon a time, I friend stalked
this girl. It was right after we moved to Katy and I didn’t have a lot of
friends. Just one or two, and one of those invited me to a party at her house,
and I met Victoria. She doesn’t remember. But I do. I thought, “I want to be
friends with her. That one. The one with the great laugh and smile. The one
everyone is gravitating around. She looks fun. She looks genuine.” And so I set
about making it happen. I stood next to her in boot camp. I commented on her Facebook
posts. I got to know her in group outings. And then, one Mother’s Day, when we
really didn’t know each other still, I just went for it and asked her family to
meet my family for brunch. And that was it, we were friends.
Over the next 4 years, they’ve become
family. Her kids are my kids and vice versa. But I’m finding as time goes
along, we didn’t just add to our family. I added someone that supports me,
loves me, gets me, and tells me the truth. Celebrates my wins, is sad for my
losses, and is straight up with me when I’m being a ridiculous baby. I hope I
do the same for her. She helped me hear my voice again. She helped me like
myself more. She does that for all our tribe, our elephant tribe as we call it (thanks
to this post by Jen Hatmaker). Her friendship makes me a better version of me. This
is what happens when we are vulnerable with each other, when we give someone a
chance. They can become family.
I’ve been thinking these days about
sisterhood. I’ve been lucky. I have a lot of close, strong, supportive sisters
in my life. I used to think that was chance. But in this new “say nice things
to yourself” era I’m working on, I think maybe I made that happen. Just like I
set out to make our friendship happen. I think I might be good at this
sisterhood thing. It fills me up, seeing women support each other. So much of
our lives we spend competing, fighting, one-upping, feeling inadequate, and judging
each other. When we come together, the magic of it makes my heart sing. I’ve
always loved animals and I thought someday I would run an animal rescue. While my
house will always have animals in it, and maybe a foster dog or two that I’ll
probably adopt, I think my life’s calling might look a little different.
Animals are easy to love. People are harder sometimes. Maybe I can help with
that - maybe I can build some bridges.
I’ve been thinking about barriers,
and fear of the unknown, and women, differences, and cultures. More than
anything I want to live in a global world. I want my kids to as well. We’re
lucky that the city we live in attracts people of many different cultures. It’s
normal to my kids to see many different colors and faiths and languages in our
schools and daily lives. But I want more. I want global sisterhood. I don’t
want to help people in underserved countries. I want to know them. I want to
work with them. I want us to help each other. In these years where my kids are
older and I’ve had time to think about what my talents and heart’s desire and
faith really means to me, I keep circling back to Noonday. I’ve been friend
stalking them in a way. I love their mission.
“To make a
difference in some of the world's most vulnerable communities, we partner with
Artisan Businesses that share our passion for building a flourishing world. We
develop these businesses through fair trade, empowering them to grow sustainably and to create
dignified jobs for people who need them.
Fair trade. Empowering others to grow.
Creating jobs. Women making an impact by not only sharing the most beautiful
and intricate jewelry and accessories you’ve ever seen, but by making this
world smaller. By creating a bridge from their place on the globe to ours. By
helping us know each other, and become friends, and maybe even family. This is
what I want. This speaks to my soul. This is not a charity, this is women
helping other women create their own futures, build their own dreams, and in
turn empower other people in their communities. This is the global version of
the sisterhood I’ve been looking for.
I’m ready to get started. I’m ready to
show you how talented the artisans are, how precious their communities, how beautiful
their hearts. I’m ready to make some new friends, both here in entering your
homes and telling you the stories I know and showing you the jewelry and accessories
that illustrate them; and abroad by learning about women in other places far
away from my comfortable, small world. This is what fills my heart; this is
where my soul sings. Women working together, helping each other to be the best
version of themselves. Someone did it for me. Now I want to pass it on. This
world really is such a cool place, I want to experience it more, write about it
more, share it more. Because in the end, we really are all the same.
“Little one, when you are older and when you
are grown, you may be different. And they may be different, wherever you are,
wherever they are, in this big, wide world. But remember this:
Joys are the same, and
love is the same. Pain is the same, and blood is the same. Smiles are the same,
and hearts are just the same – wherever they are, wherever you are, wherever WE
are.
All over the world.” –
Mem Fox, Whoever You Are
We are stronger
together. If you'd like to book a Noonday trunk show (or just shop the link below!)and find out more, please contact me. I'd love to hear from you! Hostess deals are amazing and change every month, and we also do trunk shows to benefit adoptive families.
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