Sorority...it's not 4 years, it's for life

Each year young women all over the country start the recruitment process to join a sorority.  They are all looking for a place they can call "home." While this seems like such a simple process, it can be very stressful - not only on the girls, but on the mother's.  The girls who are legacies have an added stress of wanting to be "chosen" for at the same sorority their mother, grandmother, or sister's were a part of and the mother, grandmother, or sister is holding their breath while waiting to hear what is happening.  Did they get invited back? Did they get a bid?  To someone who does not understand Greek life this may sound crazy, but for those of us who have lived it - it is perfectly normal.

This week one of my sweet sister's survived the recruitment process with her daughter.  Although, her daughter did not accept a bid, and the process did not turn out the way we had hoped - I learned a lot.  When I went through rush in 1989, my sister was a senior and in a sorority.  After the second round during rush week, her sorority dropped me. Although, I knew they may not be the prefect fit for me - I thought the world was coming to an end.  As the week progressed, I knew exactly where I felt at home and where I belonged.  The fall of 1989, I made one of the best decisions I have ever made and that was to pledge Kappa Delta. We all want our daughters to find the type of friendships we have.  We want them to experience the bonds and the unconditional love. We simply want what is best for them. But as a mother, I have to remember that one day my sweet daughter may find all of those things and more somewhere other than Kappa Delta.

It has now been over 25 years since I pledged, and these ladies are the ones I still lean on to this day. We have been through marriages, divorces, deaths, births, and everything in between.  We are there for each other and love each other unconditionally.  We still get together as often as possible and laugh until it hurts. If you look at each of us - we are completely different in every way. But yet, we are still the best of friends. In my heart, I know God put us together over 25 years ago, because He knew we would need each other later in life.

As you navigate the recruitment process with your daughter, friends, and family -, I think it is important to remember that it is not necessarily the letters that are worn across your chest.  A sorority is about the standards and values you live by every day.  A sorority shows you the importance of giving back, and teaches you about helping others.  It is not about paying for friends, it is about finding a group of women who will support you, motivate you, and challenge you to be your best every day. For me, it is about striving each day to be "that which is honorable, beautiful, and highest."