“Right now, the world straight up sucks. I mean, not every second of every day, but a lot of the time, it feels pretty dang hard to breathe. Between the pandemic, the election, the travel restrictions, the lack of being able to simply SEE and hug your beloved family and friends face to face…it all sucks.

I get it. You get it. We all freakin’ get it.

Every day can feel exhausting. Not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel is frankly rather petrifying. And yet, here we are. Day after day, doing our best to keep it all together.

First and most importantly I want to say: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I know for me, being in my house while my husband has been working from home for the past eight months, my kids have been virtual learning since March, has been beyond trying. It’s not my norm. I’m used to an empty house for six to eight hours every day where I can write in peace and work on my projects without interruption. Basically, be me. Do all the things that I need to do to be the wife, mother, writer, friend, sister, daughter, neighbor, etc. that everyone expects me to be. Right now, nothing is the same as it was. Maybe it will go back, and this will all be a super crappy memory, or maybe I have to learn to adapt to this new normal.

Every single person I know has it rough. No matter how big or how little the inconveniences are, they are still a big change. And most often it feels like it’s a negative change because it’s not a choice we made, but one that was put upon us.

I get it. You get it. We all freakin’ get it.

So why don’t we feel better? Why do we continue to look for ways to make each day just a tad bit more positive? Because it’s human nature and we NEED to do this. For ourselves, for your loved ones and yes, even for the stranger you pass in the grocery store. Humanity needs every one of us to find the good within ourselves and those around us to keep moving forward.

At the beginning of this year I changed my entire platform to focus on what brings me joy in the workplace. And it turned out, what brought me the most positive outcomes in my writing, my muse, and my overall vibe was focusing on the sisterhood. This has been instrumental to my mental health through this year.

So, what does the sisterhood mean to me and why is it so important? Well, I’ll tell you.

It means being present when a fellow woman needs me.

It means sharing my ups, downs, and everything in between with the women that care about me, not only because I need to hear it, but THEY need to know they are not alone in their feelings either. 

It means taking the time to lift another woman up. It could be as simple as a smile, a kind word, or sharing your next great read.

It means checking in on those women that are struggling and even the ones that don’t seem to be because no matter what, we all have something that hurts.

It means reminding our friends at home and online that we’re all still here. Click “like” on a positive post. Find it within yourself to offer an encouraging thought. Comment on something that made you smile. Kindness goes a long, long way towards spreading love and togetherness.

It also means sharing socially and at home the good in your life. Try to switch the focus, turn the dial, and share what is going right not wrong. Share what is currently bringing you joy. 

In my life books and the book community have always given me the greatest feeling of camaraderie. Because you are all just like me! A lover of words. Only a bookish type understands how we live and breathe our characters, worlds, and the true abandoned joy that can be found in escaping into them.

Let me tell you right now, there is NOTHING wrong with the need to escape into a book world. In my opinion it can be necessary to check out. Get some perspective. Find some happiness. Because if you’re struggling every day, you have to find something that can give you a respite. We need hope. And I often find when I lose myself in a book, I come out of it feeling more at peace. Ready to take on the next thing that comes my way.

This is why I wrote the Wish Series, and the Soul Sister books. They are focused on the sisterhood at large. Blood sisters and the sisters we have by choice. Women that go through it all but come out of it on top because they had each other. And hey, if they fell in love with a hottie in the process, all the better.

I still believe in love. I’m still in love with love. My husband has been and will always be my rock. Just right now, I need the sisterhood to keep me balanced and I genuinely believe that every woman reading this does too.

Life is hard. So many have what feels like insurmountable mountains to climb to get back to a place where they feel balanced and whole. If I can offer one token of advice it would be to reach out to a sister. And be a person that another sister can reach out to.

I call my assistant daily. Not because I pay her to talk to me. She doesn’t have to answer. She chooses to. We tell one another everything. All the highs and lows of every single day and you know what, it’s cathartic. It allows me to let it all go because someone else hears it, understands, and acknowledges that I’m facing this. And I hope I do the same for her.

My two soul sisters are part of my small bubble we allow ourselves to see face to face. We all take insane precautions and usually wait at least two weeks in between in order to be safe, but in the meantime we text, send each other funny jokes, and keep track of one another online. This is all part of being present. Not letting the negative swallow you into a black void.

What I’m trying to express is, everyone needs a person they can connect with. Especially now when the world is utter madness, and the holidays are upon us.

Just remember when things get hard, call upon a sister. Read a book. Live by example. Be the person someone can reach out to and I promise you will find in return an unparalleled amount of support, love, and camaraderie. And if all of that fails…you can always disappear into a great book!

Who run the world…GIRLS.

Sisterhood For The Win – #SisterhoodFTW 

Madlove,

Audrey