Today marks my last day at this wonderful place.
It’s not unusual; students who work at WSR come and go all the time, every semester.
But I’ve been here for three years.
Women’s Services has seen me through breakups, engagement, marriage, bad test scores, starting a business, getting into my major. I hope I’ve been able to contribute an ounce of that support back. I’ve been honored to know so many wonderful women through this organization. Thank you for opening up to me, for sharing your thoughts on my blog posts, for your willingness to intern and volunteer and be generally amazing.
And that’s what I want this post to be about: not me, and how I’m sad and change and blah blah. But about you, darling reader.
You, being the fabulous woman you are, day in and day out for no applause. You, serving and studying and helping. You, perhaps struggling we something (aren’t we all?)—and unsure where to go.
Because that’s what Women’s Services has taught me most of all: no woman is an island. There is an incredible woman within reach to help you. She has wisdom for you. She has compassion for you. She might appear to be so different from you, but inside you are sisters.
So often we sacrifice opportunities for connection because we want to be brave and face our demons on our own.
Girl, please. Do yourself a favor and be a woman. Open yourself up to vulnerability and connection and you open yourself up to a world of insight and such sweet joy, joy from relationships that couldn’t flower without your taking that risk.
After three years of studying women’s issues at BYU—talking about and putting events on about rape and eating disorders and emotional abuse and divorce and grief and body image issues—this is what I hope every woman knows and claims as her issue:
A knowing of the wonderful women around her.
A willingness to be vulnerable, real, and authentic—because that’s when the real magic of sisterhood happens: connection.
If you know the women you meet, really know them, you’ll love them. If you come at it with your heart busted open, ready to receive without fear or insecurity, you’ll find beauty you never thought could be reality, like I did through the I Am Beautiful Because Project. You’ll find acceptance and peace, in your body, your losses, your spirit. You will be healed. This is divine! God intends for us to use our hard-wired-for-connection womanhood to give abundance to each other. When we remember that we’re on the same team—that there are no shortages of men or awards or intelligence or fabulous outfits—we can be each other’s greatest strengths.
The magic of sisterhood is so often left untapped. Let’s crack that treasure trove wide open and watch the joyful river of truth and compassion flow.
And then, let’s jump in and swim.
With so much love,
Brooke
P.S. Good thing I’m not dying! You can see all the blog posts I’ve written here, and you can see more of my photos here.
It’s not unusual; students who work at WSR come and go all the time, every semester.
But I’ve been here for three years.
Women’s Services has seen me through breakups, engagement, marriage, bad test scores, starting a business, getting into my major. I hope I’ve been able to contribute an ounce of that support back. I’ve been honored to know so many wonderful women through this organization. Thank you for opening up to me, for sharing your thoughts on my blog posts, for your willingness to intern and volunteer and be generally amazing.
You are amazing. Completely, totally, one thousand percent amazing.
And that’s what I want this post to be about: not me, and how I’m sad and change and blah blah. But about you, darling reader.You, being the fabulous woman you are, day in and day out for no applause. You, serving and studying and helping. You, perhaps struggling we something (aren’t we all?)—and unsure where to go.
Because that’s what Women’s Services has taught me most of all: no woman is an island. There is an incredible woman within reach to help you. She has wisdom for you. She has compassion for you. She might appear to be so different from you, but inside you are sisters.
So often we sacrifice opportunities for connection because we want to be brave and face our demons on our own.
Girl, please. Do yourself a favor and be a woman. Open yourself up to vulnerability and connection and you open yourself up to a world of insight and such sweet joy, joy from relationships that couldn’t flower without your taking that risk.
After three years of studying women’s issues at BYU—talking about and putting events on about rape and eating disorders and emotional abuse and divorce and grief and body image issues—this is what I hope every woman knows and claims as her issue:
A knowing of the wonderful women around her.
A willingness to be vulnerable, real, and authentic—because that’s when the real magic of sisterhood happens: connection.
If you know the women you meet, really know them, you’ll love them. If you come at it with your heart busted open, ready to receive without fear or insecurity, you’ll find beauty you never thought could be reality, like I did through the I Am Beautiful Because Project. You’ll find acceptance and peace, in your body, your losses, your spirit. You will be healed. This is divine! God intends for us to use our hard-wired-for-connection womanhood to give abundance to each other. When we remember that we’re on the same team—that there are no shortages of men or awards or intelligence or fabulous outfits—we can be each other’s greatest strengths.
The magic of sisterhood is so often left untapped. Let’s crack that treasure trove wide open and watch the joyful river of truth and compassion flow.
And then, let’s jump in and swim.
With so much love,Brooke
P.S. Good thing I’m not dying! You can see all the blog posts I’ve written here, and you can see more of my photos here.
3 comments:
Thanks for all you have done! Now go make the world a better place one girl at a time!
Thanks for all you have done! Now go make the world a better place one girl at a time!
We're gonna miss you so much!!!!
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