Sisterhood of the Big Girl Panties
You’ve heard the phrase, Sometimes you just have to put on your Big Girl Panties and deal with it!. That seemed to be a recurring theme among my friends for an extended period of time. In fact, my precious Diva, Shawn, said it so often that when I found a pair of the largest underwear in the world, I had to buy them for her. I gave them to her on the day her divorce was finalized. It was a sad day, but she handled it like a big girl. A group of ladies and I came over to check in on her and after I presented them, we decided that they were too big for just one person, and the Sisterhood of the Big Girl Panties was born…
Big Girl Panties… you don’t have to wear them alone…
It was established that they should be passed on whenever a Diva needed to know she wasn’t alone. There would be many opportunities to come, for comforting and celebrating one another. The rules were simple, basically you were responsible for them and the accompanying little book until you were inspired to pass on to another Diva. It could take days, weeks, months, years, to change hands. In our little group of ladies, it got passed back and forth a lot: divorces, marriages, broken hearts over children, new homes, lost jobs, new jobs, lots of wins and losses.
The Panties also got decorated as they got passed along. We left our mark on them, so to speak… 😊 The presenting Diva was to write a note in the book to the receiving Diva and note what embellishment she added. When possible, we got pictures of each of the Divas in the transfer, sharing the Big Girl Panties. All was recorded in the book, and yes it is shaped like a pair of underwear…
Just a few of the times I shared those Big Girl Panties. JJ, Celeste, and Shawn and the other Divas changed my life. Everything is better with friends you can count on, whether victories or trials.
For whatever reason, they went dormant for a couple of years. Life sort of settled down for most of us and the Panties were all-but-forgotten. Last summer, Shawn gave them to me for my wedding. I’ve had them a few times over the years. The best part is re-reading the book entries. I treasure these messages of love, hope, support, and encouragement between each of those beautiful women. There is a history with these women that can’t be replaced. There are still lots of twists and turns to come. I have already decided who to give them to next. I just need to wait until I see her again. I hope they live on for a long time!
My Take-Away Message:
Trials will come; it’s important that you remember that you don’t have to face them alone. You will have to put on your Big Girl Panties but get a pair big enough to fit a friend of two in there with you! ( If you aren’t entirely sure, they don’t have to be literal underwear, just don’t go it alone.)
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10