The Simple and Little things that Matter
Picture credit: amazon.com
By Ifejesu Aderibigbe
I still remember the day my friend Tomi called me crying. With a shaky voice, she tried to explain that she had just received a rejection letter for a scholarship she had poured her entire heart into. She sounded so devastated and I didn’t know how to pacify her. I couldn’t find the right words to say knowing fully well how optimistic she was about the scholarship. So, i was silent all through the call.
That evening, another friend, Julliet, and I went to Tomi’s hostel. But rather than boring her with advice or motivational speeches, we packed her favourite snacks, a bluetooth speaker, and decided to make her happy in the best way we could. We sat on the bare floor, and discussed everything except the rejection. At first, she forced her laughter, but after a while, she relaxed and started getting lively. By the time we left, she was completely over it and her mood had changed to her bubbly self.
That single gesture taught me the power of sisterhood. It made me realise the importance of female friendship.
Most times, the society presents women as competitive beings who are only after one another’s downfall. This plot is easy to fall for, but far from the truth. Sisterhood is all about holding each other up and not tearing each other down. It starts from our everyday interactions, that improves peaceful interaction and not just unhealthy competitions.
Sisterhood is not necessarily the grand gestures, but the everyday help we render to one another. It is about the regular check-in on our female friends, it is about standing up for your friend both in her presence and in her absence, It is about complementing that beautiful girl you barely even know just to put a smile on her face. It is when you share notes with that girl who missed a class or even giving one another a shoulder to cry on. These small gestures are overlooked but it is the most important.
There are days when life feels tough and overwhelming, when the weight of expectations and responsibilities feels like a burden. In those moments, a kind word from another woman can feel like the best thing you’ve ever heard. I’ve learned that most sometimes, support doesn’t necessarily have to come as a grand gesture. It comes as a random text message that simply says, “I’m rooting for you. Well done ”
Sisterhood is not always perfect. There are days when you feel envious of one another, or comparison begins to affect relationships. Sometimes, it’s hard to celebrate someone else when you’re quietly struggling yourself. Yet, that’s exactly when sisterhood becomes most meaningful. It is when we choose to clap even when it’s not our turn, when we find joy in someone else’s win because we know that her light doesn’t dim ours. True sisterhood isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It is most cherished when we celebrate our friends win, even during our hardship. It’s about loving one another through our imperfections and inadequacy.
Over the years, I’ve seen how powerful women can be when they stop competing and start connecting. When they decide to share knowledge instead of hoarding it, when they uplift one another instead of tearing down. That’s exactly what we call growth. It is also evident in classrooms, where girls tutor each other out of genuine love for one another. I’ve seen it in workplaces, where women recommend one another for roles instead of treating opportunities as a competition. Each time this happens, it strengthens the bond of sisterhood. Sisterhood is efficient, just by the simple and everyday help. Holding up for each other and encouraging one another during trying times. In a society where women are made to shrink, the bond of sisterhood makes them expand and outdo themselves.
Most times, we don’t realise the effect of these everday gestures and how it can go a long way in improving one another’s self esteem. One act of kindness can go a long way. This minute, it can be kind gestures of a stranger and the next minute, it can be the words of encouragement from your friends just when you were about giving up on your dreams or how they hold up for when you face rejection.
So, anytime I think back to that night. Just the three of us: Ada, Tomi and I sitting on the bare floor, trying to heal our friend not through words, but through the laughter and bond we have always shared. It teaches me a lesson. That’s the essence of sisterhood. Always showing up for your friend at their lowest, not necessarily with the perfect answers, but with love.
In conclusion, Sisterhood is an unbreakable bond that makes women hold each other up and rise together.
I still remember the day my friend Tomi called me crying. With a shaky voice, she tried to explain that she had just received a rejection letter for a scholarship she had poured her entire heart into. She sounded so devastated and I didn’t know how to pacify her. I couldn’t find the right words to say knowing fully well how optimistic she was about the scholarship. So, i was silent all through the call.
That evening, another friend, Julliet, and I went to Tomi’s hostel. But rather than boring her with advice or motivational speeches, we packed her favourite snacks, a bluetooth speaker, and decided to make her happy in the best way we could. We sat on the bare floor, and discussed everything except the rejection. At first, she forced her laughter, but after a while, she relaxed and started getting lively. By the time we left, she was completely over it and her mood had changed to her bubbly self.
That single gesture taught me the power of sisterhood. It made me realise the importance of female friendship.
Most times, the society presents women as competitive beings who are only after one another’s downfall. This plot is easy to fall for, but far from the truth. Sisterhood is all about holding each other up and not tearing each other down. It starts from our everyday interactions, that improves peaceful interaction and not just unhealthy competitions.
Sisterhood is not necessarily the grand gestures, but the everyday help we render to one another. It is about the regular check-in on our female friends, it is about standing up for your friend both in her presence and in her absence, It is about complementing that beautiful girl you barely even know just to put a smile on her face. It is when you share notes with that girl who missed a class or even giving one another a shoulder to cry on. These small gestures are overlooked but it is the most important.
There are days when life feels tough and overwhelming, when the weight of expectations and responsibilities feels like a burden. In those moments, a kind word from another woman can feel like the best thing you’ve ever heard. I’ve learned that most sometimes, support doesn’t necessarily have to come as a grand gesture. It comes as a random text message that simply says, “I’m rooting for you. Well done ”
Sisterhood is not always perfect. There are days when you feel envious of one another, or comparison begins to affect relationships. Sometimes, it’s hard to celebrate someone else when you’re quietly struggling yourself. Yet, that’s exactly when sisterhood becomes most meaningful. It is when we choose to clap even when it’s not our turn, when we find joy in someone else’s win because we know that her light doesn’t dim ours. True sisterhood isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It is most cherished when we celebrate our friends win, even during our hardship. It’s about loving one another through our imperfections and inadequacy.
Over the years, I’ve seen how powerful women can be when they stop competing and start connecting. When they decide to share knowledge instead of hoarding it, when they uplift one another instead of tearing down. That’s exactly what we call growth. It is also evident in classrooms, where girls tutor each other out of genuine love for one another. I’ve seen it in workplaces, where women recommend one another for roles instead of treating opportunities as a competition. Each time this happens, it strengthens the bond of sisterhood. Sisterhood is efficient, just by the simple and everyday help. Holding up for each other and encouraging one another during trying times. In a society where women are made to shrink, the bond of sisterhood makes them expand and outdo themselves.
Most times, we don’t realise the effect of these everday gestures and how it can go a long way in improving one another’s self esteem. One act of kindness can go a long way. This minute, it can be kind gestures of a stranger and the next minute, it can be the words of encouragement from your friends just when you were about giving up on your dreams or how they hold up for when you face rejection.
So, anytime I think back to that night. Just the three of us: Ada, Tomi and I sitting on the bare floor, trying to heal our friend not through words, but through the laughter and bond we have always shared. It teaches me a lesson. That’s the essence of sisterhood. Always showing up for your friend at their lowest, not necessarily with the perfect answers, but with love.
In conclusion, Sisterhood is an unbreakable bond that makes women hold each other up and rise together.
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