2. A young bride, sitting on a settee one hot and humid day, an iced tea in her hand, was paying a visit to her mother. They talked of life, marriage, and the responsibilities and obligations of being grown-up. The mother, pensive, clinked the ice-cubes in her glass and fixed her wise, clear gaze on her daughter.
3. “ Never forget your sisters,” she advised, swirling the tea leaves at the bottom of the glass. “ The older you get, the more important they will become for you. It matters not how much you love your husband or how deeply you love your children, you will always need your sisters. Don’t forget to see them from time to time and to do things together with them.”
4. “ Remember, sisters means ALL women ... Your friends, your daughters, and all your female relatives …. You will always need other women.”
5. “ What a strange piece of advice” thought the young woman “ Am I not a young wife? Have I not become part of a couple? I’m a married woman, not a dog! I’m an adult! I’m sure that my husband and the family we shall create will be the most important things in my life.”
6. But she remembered her mother’s words. She kept in contact with her sisters and made more friends every year. As the years rolled by, she came to understand what her mother had been talking about. Time and nature take their toll on a woman and so sisters become great pillars of support in life.
7. Having lived more than 60 years in this world, these things I have learnt : Time slips by. Life comes to an end. Distance separates people. Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love mellows and weakens. Men are not like sisters. Hearts break. Family members pass on. Careers end.
8. BUT...... Sisters are always there, no matter what. Whatever the weather or the time of day or the distance between you, a friend is never further than a phone call away.
9. When you are alone, there is always a woman in the wings encouraging you, praying for you, supporting you, acting on your behalf, showing you the way, sometimes breaking the rules and walking beside you, doing things for you when your strength has deserted you.
10. Girl friends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, cousins and extended family - they all help us in our life.
11. The world wouldn’t be the same without women. When our feminine adventure started, we had no idea of the incredible joys and sorrows that awaited us. Neither did we know how much we should need one another.
12. (Only if you have the time and would like to ...) Send this slideshow to the women who are important in your life. Send it, too, to those you don’t know but will understand.
