We Believe...

Talking about princesses at last week's Sisterhood got me thinking about how I believe we are responsible for our own happily ever afters. Then I started thinking about other beliefs that I hold true. So today at the Sisterhood, we broke into groups and finished the sentence, "I believe..." Here are some of the things we believe...

...in the power of small kindnesses.
...in balance, i.e. joy balancing sorrow and so on.
...no one should have teh right to tease or pressure anyone else.
...in our faith.
...in chocolate!
...that you can transform yourself into whatever you want--like when you're swimming and you pretend you're a mermaid. :-)
...in individuality.
...that you choose to be happy.
...manners go a long way.
...in hard work.
...in curiosity and questioning.

What do you believe? Please leave a comment and don't. stop. believing. (hold on to that feeeeeeeling...80s song reference...sorry!)

Princess Much?

Today at Sisterhood, we talked about princesses! We discussed why so many girls have played princess dress-up games and here were some of the reasons:
* because princesses always live happily ever after
* because it's a fun costume to wear and you feel pretty
* because we like to emulate our favorite fairy tale princesses
* because we like to fantasize about someone else rescuing, pampering or just taking care of us
* because we like to dream and use our imaginations.

But...several Sisters also had some other thoughts. Some thought being a princess is overrated. In real life, being a princess is a lot of work! Real princesses have to know about world events, foreign policy, politics and may even be the ruler of their country. Some thought the media and even parents are guilty of marketing the 'princess ideal' to girls. And some Sisters didn't care for the message that you have to wait around for your Prince Charming to rescue you! One Sister even said that a true princess isn't afraid to rescue herself! Love that!! Other Sisters identified with the new movie, 'The Princess and the Frog.' They liked how she's a strong princess who saves others, and doesn't sit around waiting for others to save her. The Sisters also liked how she is ethnically diverse from most other princesses; that not all princesses are white. Princess Fiona in the Schrek movies also is a strong role model who is very capable and comfortable with her looks, even though they may not be considered conventionally beautiful. The Sisters also mentioned the Princess Protection Program as a show where the princesses are positive role models, too.

I think we can agree that it's all about balance. Enjoy your princess fantasy, but be responsible for creating your own happily ever after!

What do you think? Who's your favorite princess and why? And what are you doing to make all your own dreams come true?

A Sexy Halloween??? Now That's SCARY!!!!

Today at Sisterhood, we talked about all things Halloween. One of the things we've noticed is that almost any costume marketed toward a girl (big or small), is now SEXY. A sexy witch, a sexy cat, a sexy zombie cheerleader and on and on...What is up with that? Some Sisters thought that it might be done to make more money for the costume companies, because $ex $ells. Or maybe it's because some girls today (older teens, mostly) want to show off their bodies and get attention from guys. One Sister said that girls used to want to just look pretty, but now they want to look sexy. What do you think? Please leave a comment and give us your opinion.

I also asked the Sisters how many of them had ever dressed up as a princess for Halloween? Almost every hand in the room went up. Why do you think this is? Please leave a comment!!!

Have a very happy and safe Halloween, and just say NO to SEXY costumes, Sisters!

Texting and Facebook and Twitter, OH MY!

Today at Sisterhood we discussed the role technology plays in our lives. A lot of the Sisters talked about the huge amounts of texts they send and receive each month. Several Sisters don't text at all and felt like they weren't missing a thing, while others wished they had phones so they could text. Sometimes, though, texting removes us from actually communicating face to face or on the phone with our friends. While it may be quicker, it's less personal. Like when PLMS kids get out of school and they instantly start texting their friends...who are walking down the halls right next to them! What's your opinion on texting? Please leave a comment and tell us.

We also talked about online social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Some Sisters mentioned how friends who use these sites are actually less social with them that before. Do you think that's ironic? We also talked a little bit about feeling left out if you're not on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace. Have you ever felt like this? Please leave a comment.

We'll talk more about this next week, as many girls still had things to say when the bell rang. In the meantime, enjoy your technology, but don't let it shield you from the face-to-face interactions that are what real life is all about. See you next week, Sisters!

Discussion Topics for future Sisterhood Lunches

Thanks for attending the Sisterhood today! We spent our time today brainstorming future topics that you would like to talk about at Sisterhood. Ms. Elliot and I are always open to new topics and really want to make Sisterhood relevant to you. So keep those ideas coming! We came up with a pretty good list below, but feel free to leave a comment and suggest other topics :) Thanks for coming Sisters! Enjoy this beautiful weather!

-Parent Issues
-Gossip/Texting
-Sharing fun weekend plans
-Favorite books
-Boys and immaturity
-What's cool, What's not
-How to stand up for yourself
-Dove Campaign for beauty: video
-Dealing with pressure
-Moments when you wanted to be invisible
-Feeling left out

For BLunchers we've decided to take a break from meeting every week. We've invited those dedicated B lunch sisters to attend the first Thursday of the month during A lunch Sisterhood (yes, this means you will get out of class that day!) Just check in with your 4th period teacher and make sure they are ok with it. See you soon

Sometimes it's hard to just be yourself

Today at Sisterhood, we talked about how it's hard sometimes to just be yourself. Even if you have let go of the idea about being perfect (nobody is!), 'being yourself' can change depending on who you're with. Think about it, do you act the same way around your family, your new friends, your old friends, your teachers or your crush? Why or why not? Leave a comment!

We discussed possible reasons for this, like not wanting to feel left out. But it always comes back to the fact that people will like you best when you're being authentic. Playing a part in your own life gets old pretty quickly! Have you ever felt this way? Leave a comment!

Sometimes in middle school (and beyond, sorry to report), people compete for a friend's attention. Has this happened to you? Why do you think people do this? Leave a comment and tell us!

If you have somehow managed to overcome this type of stuff, how did you do it? What messages do you tell yourself to help you navigate the sometimes choppy waters of adolescence? You guessed it...leave a comment.

Learning from each other is a big part of Sisterhood. Thanks for coming today, and thanks in advance for your comments left here. Your voice matters, Sister!

Welcome to the '09-'10 Sisterhood!

Wow--what a great turn-out today. Thanks for coming, Sisters. It was great to see some familiar faces as well as so many new ones! We talked a little about why you come to Sisterhood and lots of you said the same thing: to meet new people, to get to speak your mind without being judged or worrying about what boys will think, and to just be yourself! This is what the Sisterhood is all about and we look forward to hearing your opinions this year.

Our discussion topic today was letting go of being perfect. We talked about the difference between people (you, your parents, etc.) wanting you to do your best and people wanting you to be something you're not. One Sister in A Lunch talked about her big sister wanting her to be a perfect girly girl, but she's more of an athlete. We talked about how expectations like that can make you feel pressure to change. Have you ever experienced this kind of pressure? How many of you have felt pressure to look a certain way? Dress a certain way? What does that feel like? Please post a comment and let us know.

We hope the Sisterhood of the Traveling Lunches will help free you to just be yourself. Because, to us, that's just PERFECT!