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| Linking up with the NAS |
I have learned a lot about myself and how to love through my friendships. In college, I was privileged and blessed beyond belief to be a part of a
household, which basically is Franciscan's version of sororities and fraternities with a Catholic twist. There are about 43 households, each based off a different virtue of aspect of our faith, and we sign a covenant, committing to live a faithful life and to help one another grow in holiness. My household is Regina Angelorum, or "Queen of the Angels", and my sisters and I would have weekly mass, rosary, holy hours, share groups, and other activities together.
Without a doubt, my best of friendships have come out of this group of women. Never in my life have I seen such real, authentic, raw, vulnerable human love. These
friends sisters have stood by me through the thick and the thin. Through the moments where we laugh so hard our sides hurts, through praying with each other in our heartaches and tears during all hours of the night, through looking a sister in the eye and asking how she is
really doing, through dragging one another to mass at 6:30 in the morning, through the moments where we are so lost in shadow and despair that nothing keeps us together except the love and prayers of our sisters. Through the excitements, the joys, the losses, the sharing of our hearts. This is the real love of friendship. And this love requires
vulnerability. I would not have the beautiful relationships that I have if I had kept my heart enclosed for fear of it getting hurt again. I would not be the woman I am today without having friends who loved me enough to kick my butt and tell me when I was wrong or to encourage me when I was hesitantly walking the right path. I know that no matter what, no matter what time, no matter the distance, there are always 200+ women whom I am blessed to call sisters and who are always ready to love on each other. So to these beautiful women, wherever you are, thank you for teaching me how to love and be loved. Know that I hold you all in my heart.
Fight the good fight always
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| A bunch of sisters were visiting so of course we took a picture! |
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| From retreat last spring |
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| Thanksgiving party :) |
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| A household sisters wedding in CT! |
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My two little sisters and I
And of course, our mother and her Son! |
Cue the tears...
And this love requires vulnerability. - I love this and I didn't even think of it. Pride can keep up from being good friends, from loving as well as being loved by our friends. I love this series because I always get something out of it. I have a hard time being vulnerable for fear of being hurt but I guess that also keeps me from loving others and being loved by them. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOf course! I had a hard time at first because I didn't trust people, but I am so glad I was able to overcome that and be more vulnerable. My friendships have been a lot more fruitful and blessed. I pray that you can find the courage to be more vulnerable in your friendships!
DeleteShoot! Whenever I read everyone else's post, I ALWAYS say THAT is what I forgot to mention. Oh well! I'm glad you did.
ReplyDeleteVulnerability. SO true. Without it... we would not have the relationships we have, I am sure. It's such a scary place to be sometimes, but when you are loved even at your most vulnerable... you know that you have good peeps in you life. Beautiful post!
Thank you! But yea, that's what is nice about link-ups...we are all filling in the gaps with the things we forget to mention in our posts. That has definitely happened to me before too haha.
DeleteLove this post! My best friends are friends I'm vulnerable to and who are vulnerable to me. I thought we were vulnerable because we are such good friends, but maybe it's exactly the other way ...
ReplyDeleteYea I think maybe it may be a cycle. You start being good friends because you are vulnerable with one another, but the closer you get with someone, the more vulnerable you become as well :)
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