A phenomenal group of women who I've never even met in person, yet with whom I share a strong bond.
Women whose spirit of adventure is outmatched only by their enormous capacity for caring and their lovely supportive hearts.
I've blogged about them before - Sisters On The Fly (SOTF), whose mission statement is "Offering empowerment and sisterhood through exceptional outdoor adventures.” They're a group almost 4,000 strong, in their twenties and nineties and everywhere in between, who camp, fish, kayak and journey together, many of them in little vintage travel trailers.
The trailers are what drew me to the Sisters - brightly painted and uniquely individual, brimming with things you didn't even know you needed for camping: frilly petticoats; china and martini glasses; lots of plump, overstuffed pillows; vintage train cases; maybe a lasso or two.
I joined SOTF because of their core value of empowering women to do things they never dreamed possible - that, and their kick-ass cute trailers! I figured I could learn a lot from these ladies about how to makeover my teeny tiny 9' 1964 Thunderbolt, "Lil' Chick" (to follow her progress, see my other blog:
www.1964thunderbolt.blogspot.com).
But the Sisters are so much more than the sum total of their trailers and outdoor adventures. Through text, Facebook, phone, and email, I've gotten to know some of these extraordinary women, and they all share some common threads: genuine deep-rooted kindness, fabulous humor, encouragement and support, caring, and love. Their hearts are as huge as the wide open skies they camp under.
Yesterday, I became a humble recipient of a tangible piece of Sister love:
Sisters have pieced together, restored, and purchased what they call Traveling Quilts. When a fellow Sister is ailing, undergoing medical treatment, or recovering from accident or illness, word travels fast. And because Sisters can't all be there physically to offer hugs or words of comfort, the Traveling Quilts become surrogate Sisters, tangible and beautiful snugness to wrap around oneself for as long as it's needed. When the quilt's job is done, it's passed on to another Sister and the circle of support continues.
Can I just say again how amazing this group of women is? They've never met me, most of them are in states across the country, and all of them are busy with their own lives. It’s through care and kindness like this that healing happens.
Thank you, my dear Sisters, for your thoughtfulness, your energy, and your prayers. This stupid cancer doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance when it’s up against the phenomenal strength of Sister Power!
XOXO
To learn more about these wonderful women, go to www.sistersonthefly.com.
