What say you all - shared secrets or shared experiences? Which is more valuable to you?
An interesting topic, evergreen.
The "secrets" of our Sisterhood are the beginning our bond - and the bond ultimately grows stronger from the experiences we share. It's a balance of both "secrets" and experiences, IMO.
I really don't like the word secret. There are aspects of my bond that I would not share with anyone except the iinitiated - but it's not so much "secret" as it's special. If there's no meaning in something, except to me and my Sisters, why would I share it with the ininitiated and make it less meaningful? I wouldn't.
Does that make the special stuff publishable material?
No, of course not. The way I look at it is this - each family has family traditions. And they're not generally known to anyone unless they're (a) a part of the family (b) very,
very close to the family (ex. a close family friend, neighbors that are just like family) or (c) have married into the family.
Not that your family traditions are secret - but what meaning do they really have if you're not in the family?
Additionally, a family's traditions reflect a lot about them - their values, their way of life, their heritage. It really says a lot about them - and a stranger may not appreciate or even understand some family traditions.
My favorite example in all of this are recipes that are family secrets. You don't share the recipe - but of course, you share the food itself. There's a joy in that - you share the best of yourself without compromising your uniqueness. Also, there are lots of families that don't have any special/secret recipes...but they're still a family, and they still have that bond.