UD's Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf

Hello Sisterhood!,

I trust all of you are doing fabulous!

I received the scarf last Friday and for reasons quite outside my control, am just now posting this blog. I apologize for the delay.


The scarf and I had a wonderful few days together. I was obliged to talk about Her (and, as a result, this sisterhood on campus) constantly and without hesitation. I received so many inquiries and compliments that I nearly considered wearing a post-it on my forehead so as to substitute for personal explanation. I imagine it would have read something like this: "I am a part of something bigger than myself! Feel free to ask me questions." I found, however that personal explanation was the only way to communicate my feelings.

To me, unity is an indelible aspect of womanhood. As women, we share struggles, pressures, and associate with one another through our natural existence. To be sure, this sense of unity is shared by all humankind but I particularly associate with the label "woman" on a daily basis for it has worked in shaping my perceptions and passionate outlook on life. Until I began explaining the Sisterhood to others, this passion was not quite so evident to me. However, after this experience I learned that unity means more than sharing what you have inside..it is, first and foremost, sharing in and feasting on, what is outside of you. There is a Chinese proverb that, summarized here, sheds light on the constant battle between what is inside us all and what lies outside. The proverb demonstrates that we should not go inside ourselves and hide away but by the same token we cannot seek only the external world. There is a sense of balance that must be struck intentionally in all our lives. For women, this balance is vitally important. We have endured a history of abuses and usurpations that have defined our social roles for centuries.

So my advice to you all is to create that balance in your own life! Share in the beauty of others and hold true to your womanhood for it is a very worthy association.

In Sisterhood,
Ashley