I don’t think I could ever explain what the women in my life mean to me. They are beautiful beyond measure. They are warriors, women who have been through so much, yet they get up, and they love, and they do it with such grace and bravery. They are encouragers, nurturers, keepers, growers, and warriors. They are picker-uppers, a hand to hold, a warm cup of coffee on a cold day.
They are the gentle, kind words your soul needs when you feel you could hide forever. These women are like sun shining through a window making the whole house bright. I don’t know if they realize just how much I pray to be to them, what they have been to me. They truly are my sisters.
When you are with them you know you are seen, truly seen. They call you out, ever so gently, when maybe you’re not seeing things fully. They encourage you when you have been wronged, and comfort you when you need it most. They will always be there to watch your babies grow. They will love them, pray for them, and support them. Just as you do the same for theirs.
They will laugh with you until there are tears streaming down your face and sit with you in your deepest sorrow. They will hold you up when the harshness of winter hits as well as when the warmth of summer shines in all its goodness. They will remind you of God’s abounding love and faithfulness when you can’t see it and are wondering where it went.
I am forever grateful for the comforts of life, but having a community of women in my life is far beyond the joy I find in material comforts. It’s something that can’t ever be bought. It’s not something I earned or something I deserve. It is a gift from above that I give thanks for every day of my life.
These women mean so much more to me than I could ever possibly put into words. There are so many things in this life we can’t take with us, but what these women have been to me I know that I can. I get to carry that forever. It won’t ever be regretted or ever wasted. It will always be cherished, and the love I have for them, and that they have instilled in me, will beat in my heart for eternity.
by Kelli Bachara 
by Charissa Bates 
