“No one, but no one, can make it out here alone…”
The above is a truth spoken in one of Maya Angelou’s poems, which the graduates, staff and volunteer mentors of Soup of Success recite together at our monthly reunion nights, celebrating our shared support, our sisterhood of success.
Last Thursday night, I basked in the synergy of 30 different women from all over our community–ages 23 to 84–retirees, professionals, job seekers, homemakers, students, women with disabilities, service and retail workers–married mothers, single women, single mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, step-mothers, and women with no children–teachers, gardeners, entrepreneurs, scientists, readers, nurses and artists–So different from each other, from different circles, and yet one in our understanding of the power of women and the power of women together.
We ate taco salads and cookies prepared by Elkhart Valley Church of the Brethren. We made a rainbow of clay figures with which to introduce ourselves to the group. We played silly question games.
I particularly enjoyed watching our new mentoring pairs meet one another. Each woman at SOS is matched with a volunteer from the community who agrees to be an encouraging support on the path of growth, building resources and economic security, pursuing dreams. I’m excited for them to discover each other’s gifts, to see life and our community through new lenses, to find new parts of themselves. Their introductions were inevitably slightly awkward, but by the end of the evening, they were sharing laughter, encouragements and phone numbers.
I smiled watching the seasoned mentoring pairs surrounding our new pairs, knowing the stories they’ve shared, the problems they’ve solved, the successes they’ve celebrated.
This, after all, is one of the secrets of success. Join with others. Assemble your team.
You don’t have to go it alone.
For more information about mentoring at Soup of Success, click here.
I look forward to hearing from you.
-Kathy
Add comment June 10, 2008
