Powerful Women

A couple of weekends have passed since a group of teacher friends gathered at JoAnn’s. I hear echoes of laughter and Kim’s occasional snorts. There was Charlene’s beach yoga (not that I got out of bed in time) and gluttonous consumption of Patti’s cookies and sweets. I savored witty banter with Carey as much as I appreciated our meaningful conversations. Joyce captured only what we wanted captured with her advanced photography skills. I was the getaway driver.

Oh yes- a VERY good time was had by all.

It’s a wonderful thing to be witness to our tornado talking. Four conversations swirling at once and each of us jumping in and out in a divine dance of the divas we were that weekend. Even though a few of our group were not with us, we tripped down our memory lanes, sharing good and bad in our lives for the last several years. When I couldn’t keep up, I simply listened, utterly mystified by their fabulousness!

The rise and fall of our voices would resound with giggles much like a punctuation mark at the end of sassy sentence. There was no competition to be heard, no tension to out-talk.

To be with them filled me with absolute joy. And calm. And peace. It was three days of resting in a circle of time-honored trust.

We wound things up with sighs of contentment for who we used to be and for who we are now … all the while promising to gather again soon. These brainy broads continue to teach me by example.

Charlene, Kim, Joyce, Patti, JoAnn, and Carey are each clothed in strength. Clothed in dignity. These FABULOUS ladies laugh a lot because they know it is always better than breaking down and falling completely apart. They understand fear of the future but choose faith. Each woman recognizes that when God is within her, she will not fail.

They are far more precious than jewels. These women know me well and love me anyway- because of all they know about me and because I may be the punch line to some of these infamous stories.
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They are powerful women. They refresh my soul.

Being with my sister Amy, my life-long partner in crime, has a similar effect. Amy and I reach MARVEL levels of awesome when we travel together and decide to combine forces. Anything can happen.

Take today’s ultimate goal- getting a flying palmetto bug out of my car.
-as we drove into a state park on Hunting Island.
-as we screamed and hollered at the top of our lungs.
-as we sat stoically still and perfectly silent as I drove back to Elise’s house.

Despite our best efforts, this bug had escaped into some special bug hiding place inside my car and was waiting to surprise us again. A palmetto bug by any other name is still a big, ugly, flying cockroach. South Carolina just likes to be fancy.

Amy and I are always better together even though she did try to throw the palmetto bug in my face.

Amy is a powerful woman.

Even though Amy and I were raised by beautiful women from our family, there was another equally impressive group of ladies who influenced my life: the Cordele moms of my childhood friends.

This iconic group always held us to high expectations -everywhere and all the time. They modeled grace and determination as they worked and worshiped in different churches but to the same holy God.

Powerful women like Miss Kay Hurt.

This beautiful mama to my childhood friends Sharon, Susan, Dana, and Virginia is celebrated as a kindhearted woman who gained honor among all the girls’ friends. She is remembered for noble things and how she set about her work vigorously. She loved each of us not only with words or speech but with her actions.

Sharon and I have a bond of childhood friendship that has withstood the test of time because it is rooted in our faith. This faith will now sustain Sharon and her precious sisters. They are powerful women just like their mama.

Great women of faith will come together to lift each other up.
Women of faith are powerful in their ability to continue traditions, to overcome sorrow, or to remind others to choose joy.

Powerful women are also responsible for calling each other out in love when we are wrong. We are commanded to forgive, to resist the desire to banish those we no longer consider close.

Women of faith are never more powerful than when we stand together. I am grateful when my friends- old and new- include me in their life and enfold me in their love.

As for sisterly love?
Stay tuned for how I get Amy back for throwing that big, ugly bug in my face…

Miss Kay- beautiful mom to Sharon, Dana, Susan, and Virginia and a powerful woman to their friends