Do it anyway

I know it’s Monday, but wasn’t it just Thursday yesterday?  I swear I only blinked and the weekend is over already.  I wanted to write to you on Friday, but I was dead to the world.  I wanted to share all the fun pics over the weekend, but I couldn’t coordinate my brain with my fingers to make it happen.  Since this is my first communication with the outside world since “Let’s Get Together” GNO on Thursday, I thought I’d make it very serious.  And professional.

Sounds just like me, right?

Hardly.  We captured all sorts of hilariousness in our first real “photo booth” at the standing-room-only GNO on Thursday night.  It’s hysterical to see what women do when given the opportunity to pose all night behind a camera with a button and a bright flash.

We have blackmail for years.  

Kidding, obviously.  Because the truth about what we really have after last Thursday night is quite the opposite.  We have sisterhood for life.  Yes, there were secret stories shared that have ne’er left the mouth of those ladies.  Like the story of the case of a disappearing red quick weave.  Or the doctor who lost her dental crown eating peanut brittle and had to see 40 patients with a missing front tooth.   There were too many snort-laughing stories to name.

Let’s just say we laughed a lot. 

But we didn’t laugh “at” each other.  We laughed together.  The beauty of all the laughter was that we were each surrounded by a room full of supportive, caring women who were interested in learning more about our stories.  Each woman there was ready to lean in and hear what beauty means to her sisters.  We shared struggles and victories.  The beautiful women on the panel (in the image above) cracked the vault wide open to talk about deep-seated stereotypes and life-long messages they’ve worked hard to rewrite for themselves.

As a result, we shared some pretty precious moments together. 

Truth be told, I was nervous about planning this one.  I was afraid I would do it wrong and offend people. ( I did some of that.) But at the end of the day, all it took was creating a safe space, sending a clear invitation to the right people, and setting the table for an open conversation to share stories (well, and maybe a little wine).

I saw walls dropped and bridges built. 

Unlikely friendships formed, that I know will take the most beautiful shape in the days ahead.  I have no doubt that we laid the stepping-stones to change our share of history, together.  It was a beautiful step in the right direction of celebrating diversity, sisterhood and all we can do when we bust through old stereotypes with love.

Where are the old walls and stereotypes in your life you need to bust through today? 

I know it can be scary.  Some people will get offended and tell you all about how you’re doing it wrong.  They’ll sit back in the stands and make their judgements.  But the truth is, those people will always be there.

Do it anyway.  

We need your courage.  We need your voice.  We need your heart.

Whatever it is you feel like you’re being called to step out to do today . . . 

Feel the fear.

And do it anyway.  

to more love,

Crystal