Let’s be honest- in the last two years I've done a lot of preaching about my sisters, “the bond”, and the way my sorority gave me this support system of women to lean on. It all sounded pretty great. But in all seriousness, I think my first year I just wanted to feel that sisterhood everyone I knew was always talking about in other sororities and other chapters. I thought for a while that if I just talked about it, eventually I would feel it. I thought if I continued to act like it was there, inevitably I would end up talking myself into believing this sisterhood was the best thing that happened to me. I didn’t realize until this year, my second year as an Alpha Chi Omega, just how strong this bond actually is and just how important this sisterhood will be for the rest of my life. This year, I have challenged myself to make real friendships with the girls I called my sisters. I didn’t want to be fake anymore. I didn’t want to pretend that I was feeling something that wasn’t there. So I figured my best bet was to make an actual effort to have a real bond. I moved into the house, I reached out to sisters who I barely knew, and I started to open myself up more. I mean, there’s no way everyone in other organizations was just lying to all their Instagram followers, right? Turns out, I was right. I know it’s cliché and I know it’s an overused phrase but being part of a sorority is 100% what you put into it. You get what you give. It’s as simple as that. As soon as I started opening my mind and my heart to these girls, I was overwhelmed by the genuine love and support I received in return. This year I have already made strong relationships with so many of my sisters who, just a few months ago, I only knew based on their Instagram name or their fraternity boyfriend. I can tell you wholeheartedly that I am not longer faking my sisterly love. I’m not pretending that I have a support system- I am positive I have an unwavering group of girls who will love me unconditionally. I’ve stopped hoping for that feeling because I don’t have to wish for it anymore. Now I get to wake up in a house full of my sisters and laugh so hard I almost cry - even before breakfast. I truly love every part of my sorority. We go through some tough times together but at the end of the day, we love each other like real sisters because we are real sisters.
