Thank you, Heart Sisters

Heart Sisters.

That’s what I call “my girls” — women with strong arms full of love;  sharp minds that question and solve; humour that is bold, big and bawdy. 

These women are made of grace, energy, attitude. They are saucy and spirited. They are clever and resourceful and fiercely protective of the ones they love. They are mine. I am theirs. It’s a beautiful thing.

My heart sisters are married, single, divorced. I’m the lone widow. Some are mothers; some are  my family. My sisters.

We can go weeks or even months without seeing each other in person and no one gets offended. It’s just life and between work, school and blood family obligations, we know getting together will be tough. We will when we can. In the meantime, phone voicemail, text and other stolen moments on electronic messages are perfectly acceptable. The strongest bonds are sometimes the ones with the least commitment because the love is there. The trust is established. There’s no insecurity because we are all confident in who we are, who we love and there’s nothing to prove.

When My Favourite Husband died, they dropped everything to be with me whenever I needed and whatever I needed. Sometimes it was to cry with me as the pieces of my heart lay shattered on the floor and then they helped me softly, gently, pick up those pieces and keep them safe until my healing began. Sometimes it was to hold my hand and sit quietly with me as we pictured how my life was forever changed. One heart sister (who’s also a sister in law) came with me to the funeral home, to the church, to wherever I needed her to be. 

As time moved forward and I transferred a lot of the heaviness of my grief to my grief counsellor, I began to gain a more even keel on my relationships. I began to ask about their lives, and exchange confidences about what was happening with them. We began to get back to where we were.

The best way to describe my sisterhood now is a tapestry. It is the fabric of my life woven together with strong bonds of hope, love, joy, future promises and past secrets. These women are who I am and they are me. 

To my amazing sisterhood: thank you. Thank you for the firsts, the nexts and the always. I love you with my whole heart. 

I am blessed.

❤️