Stories of Sisterhood

KSUViolet06 · #1 06-18-2007, 12:42 AM

Another story that sticks out in my mind:

One time, while we were away at Retreat (at a camp on a lake), a sister's boyfriend (of 4 years) called and broke up with her. She was devastated. We were out in the lounge of the cabin and we heard her in the back room sobbing.

We all went back and she was curled up in a ball on the bed sobbing "I can't believe ____ broke up with me." We didn't know the whole story, we just wanted to make her feel better.

A couple of girls drove into the nearest town and got some snacks and ice cream. Some girls had already brought movies so we put one in. We moved all of our sleeping bags into the back room with her and had a slumber party.

It didn't solve the problem but at least it made her feel better to know that she wasn't alone.

susan314 · #2 06-18-2007, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

One time, while we were away at Retreat (at a camp on a lake), a sister's boyfriend (of 4 years) called and broke up with her. She was devastated.

/hijack

What kind of putz calls his girlfriend of 4 years while she's away on a weekend retreat to dump her? He could have at least had the decency to wait until she returned and sat down with her in person. I'd say 4 years requires a face-to-face breakup!

/end hijack

susan314 · #3 06-18-2007, 01:03 AM

Its hard to isolate one specific instance to share - there have been so many for me over the years!

My chapter had the unfortunate experience of having a sister die in a car accident on her way back to school after a weekend visit home. She was living in the chapter house at the time also. Seeing the way that everyone bonded together to honor her memory and help each other cope was a very powerful thing.

bslo18 · #4 07-09-2009, 08:27 PM

Every year, my chapter participates in the Relay for Life at our school in New Jersey. This year's Relay had several meanings, each bringing us together even closer.

In November-December, my aunt who I am extremely close to was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We didnt know how serious it was but the idea of cancer scared the shit out of me. I couldn't concentrate on anything and until her results came in, I was a wreck. My roommate who was also my Pearl and one of my close friends was my rock cause she knew what I was going through. She had lost her dad to cancer a few years back. Luckily, we got the good news that it wasnt as bad as we originally thought and she would just have to go through chemo for 6 months.

About two months prior to relay, our chapter/faculty advisor was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to go through extensive chemo. She continued to teach and continued to be our advisor and we loved her for everything. She was always there for our chapter and still is, even though less than 2 weeks prior to Relay she got news that her cancer had worsened and she would have to step up her chemo. At Relay, we lit a candle for her that was place on the track.

During the luminaria lap, when the lights are turned off, my chapter stood arm in arm and walked around. I couldnt help myself and started to cry cause I kept thinking about my aunt and one of my sisters was by my side in a minute. This same sister started crying half way through the lap as well. She herself was a cancer survivor.

The minute we were coming up to our chapter advisors luminaria candle, we stopped as a chapter and continued to hold hands. Eventually we stopped in her honor and did a group hug. It was one of the moments that I knew that each of these 20 girls were there for me cause they held me up during that lap. Our advisor still needs our prayers and we hope her health will continue to get better.

LoveKU28 · #5 07-10-2009, 12:18 AM

Great Thread! Very touching and sweet.

AlwaysSAI · #6 06-18-2007, 10:35 AM

Okay, so this may not seem like much to you guys, but it meant the world to me.

I have CP. A very mild case, but it's still there and it still affects my life in ways I am too stubborn to admit. I'm the clutz of the century and sometimes walk with a noticable limp. Suffice it to say that I can't do much heavy lifting by myself because I don't have to eye-hand coordination or the balance.

I am a book junkie. I love to read books, but renting them from the library isn't enough for me, I like to own them. So, I have this enormous book collection and no where to put it once I moved into my new apartment. A few Saturdays ago I went to Re-store to see if I could find myself a bookshelf. Of course, I found myself a very tall, very lovely bookshelf and I immediately bought it. (It was only $20!) I was told that I had a week to come back and pick it up, but I drive a very tiny Saturn.

I immediately start calling people. Everyone I knew-Phi Sig bros, coworkers, friends, anyone that could help me move this bookshelf from the store and into my apartment. At around 12p I called Liane, one of the SAIs I'm closest with. She has to be to work at 4p, but says that she would be more than willing to help me move the bookshelf. I took my groceries home, picked her up at about 1p and off to the store we go. We spent some time shopping and once the time came, she helped load the bookshelf into my tiny car, tied it down tightly to the trunk and off we went.

We got to my apartment with just enough time to carry the bookshelf inside and then she had to leave for work. It really meant a lot to me that she was willing to give up her Saturday afternoon to help me. It gave me that true feeling of sisterhood because I hadn't talked to her much since summer started. I mean, I had seen her in the lab and talked to her, but we never really hung out because I was always working and she was in class. It just really touched my heart that she sacrificed her Saturday afternoon to help me move a bookshelf-a sister that I hadn't been able to spend much time with.

But, I guess, when it comes down to it, that's what real sisterhood is, huh. Helping out a sister, no matter who she is or how often you get to see her, but when she needs you, you are there.

LegallyBrunette · #7 06-18-2007, 11:04 AM

When I was a collegian, one of the pledge sisters few classes after mine had Cystic Fibrosis. Initially, she hadn't told anyone about and the only sisters aware of it were those involved with Risk Management. Unfortunately, a few days before Initiation she was hospitalized for complications surrounding CF. Needless to say, the word got out about her illness and she was unable to attend Initiation with the rest of her class. She was very upset. At that time we didn't know how long she would be hospitalized for and we knew how much she was looking forward to Initiation. Thinking it would lift her spirits, we made arrangements to conduct her Initiation in the hospital. After several lengthy phone conversations with the nurses on her floor (re if it would be safe for thirty girls to descend on her hospital room) and her parents, we were cleared. It was the week of fall semester finals and the entire chapter carpooled through rush hour traffic in downtown Boston with all of our ritual equipment and surprised her by Initiating her. What it lacked in atmosphere (surrounded by hospital beds and various other pieces of medical equipment), it more than made up for in emotion.

Several years later, after having seen the Installation of a new chapter and many other Initiations and events, that Initiation is by far the most special and moving experience I have had a sister of Theta Phi Alpha.

AlwaysSAI · #8 06-18-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LegallyBrunette

When I was a collegian, one of the pledge sisters few classes after mine had Cystic Fibrosis. Initially, she hadn't told anyone about and the only sisters aware of it were those involved with Risk Management. Unfortunately, a few days before Initiation she was hospitalized for complications surrounding CF. Needless to say, the word got out about her illness and she was unable to attend Initiation with the rest of her class. She was very upset. At that time we didn't know how long she would be hospitalized for and we knew how much she was looking forward to Initiation. Thinking it would lift her spirits, we made arrangements to conduct her Initiation in the hospital. After several lengthy phone conversations with the nurses on her floor (re if it would be safe for thirty girls to descend on her hospital room) and her parents, we were cleared. It was the week of fall semester finals and the entire chapter carpooled through rush hour traffic in downtown Boston with all of our ritual equipment and surprised her by Initiating her. What it lacked in atmosphere (surrounded by hospital beds and various other pieces of medical equipment), it more than made up for in emotion.

Several years later, after having seen the Installation of a new chapter and many other Initiations and events, that Initiation is by far the most special and moving experience I have had a sister of Theta Phi Alpha.

That is an amazing story! What a sisterhood!!

Buttonz · #9 06-18-2007, 11:50 AM

When my aunt past away very suddenly earlier this year (well later 2006) I was in a state of shock. I was home taking off time from school recovering from multiple surgeries.

I text messaged two of my sisters, not wanting to wake them up at 4 AM. When they saw it, after calling me they called every sister and my phone was non-stop with calls from sisters, some that I haven't seen or spoke to in months, if not a year or two. One of them was at the funeral (held the same day) the other one was planning on taking off of work but I couldn't get her a ride. They were all at my house that night, and many of them came back throughout the week (in a Jewish family, there is a week of remembering the dead) and even after that week, they were there anytime I needed it, all of them.

My birthday was three weeks later and I was planning on sitting home alone but they dragged me out reminding me it was what she would have wanted..and I know they were right.

SWTXBelle · #10 06-18-2007, 01:08 PM

The only problem with this thread - I end up with tears in my eyes! Oh, how I love my sisters - and yours, too!

KSUViolet06 · #11 06-18-2007, 03:23 PM

Ok last one I promise:

During last recruitment, one of my sister's younger sister was in a really bad car accident on her way back to college.

She got the call in between rounds (we have a 30 minute break between pref parties) that her sister had been in a terrible accident (her car was totaled and she had to be cut out of it with the 'jaws of life'). Her parents wanted her to come home right away. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know if her sister would live, we were in the middle of recruitment, and she had no way to get home (2.5 hours away and no car on campus).

One of our alumnae, a new volunteer (this was her FIRST time helping with our chapter), peeked her head into the chapter room and asked if we were okay. The sister (in tears) explained what was going on and that she didn't know what to do because she had no way home and didn't want to make another active leave just to drive her (we were in the middle of recruitment).

The alumna asked where she lived, she said it was 2.5 hours away. She said, "Get your stuff. I can take you there." She had no clue where this small town in southern OH was, but she was determined to get this girl down to see her sister.

They ended up making it down to the hospital. Her sister ended up surviving with a few broken bones and the sister's parents drove her back up later that night just in time for the Bid Night party.

honeychile · #12 07-05-2008, 08:59 PM

I can think of two specific examples:

When I was still in school, one of our sisters got a detached retina from playing raquetball without glasses. She was in the hospital for over a month, with both eyes bandaged, as the eyes work in sympathy with each other. We all took turns staying with her during visiting hours, as her family lived too far away to stay with her during the week. Fortunately, her sight was saved!

When I was going through my divorce, one of my closest sisters who lived in San Diego at the time called me almost daily to ask how I was doing. God bless her - I was a mess! But I finally started to turn the corner, and call her one day, and said, "What are you doing this weekend?" She asked why, and I responded, "You've been so good to me, I thought a quick trip to Tiajuana was in order!" I later found out that a quickie divorce didn't solve the property problems, but we still had a great time.

And of course, most of ya'll have heard me tell the story of our sister, Sarai.