I wish I could say it was a deep conversation that brought upon the inspiration for a newsletter involving all six of us sisters. We’ve had many conversations that have had everyone in tears. Stakes have been high—emotions as well. Some of the talks end in a loving embrace when there aren’t any more words to be said. Yes, we have those conversations too.
That day, however, it was a pretty ordinary conversation. I was sitting on a chair in my mother’s kitchen. Meg was sitting across from me. We often find each other first in the morning because we are the two early birds in the family. Not long ago, she was usually first in the kitchen. Now I’ve taken that role as I have a little toddler who wakes before the sun rises. So, it was not just Meg and I in the kitchen, but my son as well. He was opening a board book up when I looked across the kitchen island and was given a front row seat to gaze upon the beautiful hair on my sister’s head. Meg’s hair is something else entirely. It’s dark and somehow vibrant. Thick and yet springy. I can tell its healthy hair not just from its shine, but from how heavy it looks. Just imagining holding a lock of her hair in my hand, I can feel the weight of it.
“Your hair looks amazing.” I said out loud without thinking. It probably sounded funnier than I meant it, given I was sitting with my bed hair that was growing sparsely every which way.
“Thank you! I just changed up the product and routine, and it’s been looking and feeling so much better!” she responded.
Now, to me, this sounds utterly ridiculous. Her hair has always looked good. I’m sure the last products and routine worked just as well. But I wasn’t the one with the dark romantic locks, it was her. So whatever it was, it was working. I would be foolish not to believe her.
I felt a bit sheepish asking—my hair being hardly any more impressive than the light tufts of baby hair still growing in on my toddler’s head—but I had to. I should at least try to make my hair look something like my sister’s, shouldn’t I?
“Can you text me what products you’re using? And your routine?”
Not ten minutes later, Meg had awoken the rest of the sisters (and my mother) to the first group text of the day.
“My hair care routine…” The message started. I scrolled down a long text bubble, complete with 7 detailed steps involving scalp massages and olive oil. The sister in me appreciated the prompt way my oldest sister always comes through…The marketer in me… Well, the message sparked something else that had always been in the back of my mind: Meg’s hair care routine shouldn’t be just for the sisters.
And on that note: Nikki’s selfie tips shouldn’t be just for us either. And Rena’s definitions around sexuality or Misty’s advice on finding things that bring joy…None of it should be just for us. It should be shared.
That’s when I impatiently waited for the rest of my sisters to wake up, one by one, until we were all in the kitchen.
“I have an idea I want to run by everyone…”
It sounded crazy as I started to talk about it. When I set up expectations for a newsletter or when others brought up boundaries or rules we would all adhere to, it felt like too much.
But at the end of another special conversation in my mother’s kitchen, all six of us were in. We all wanted to give it a try. And less than a week later, we had stood the thing up. And this week, the Dear Sisters newsletter launched.
I’ve proofread a post from each sister, and every time it’s felt like I’ve sat down beside the fireplace in my mother’s great room and just listened to each sister talk. I’m not sure what failure looks like with a newsletter like this, but if this newsletter does fail, I will still walk away knowing my sisters better than before the newsletter. It will still have been an excuse to meet with all of my sisters who live across the country on a Zoom call to “talk business”. As I get older, as I have my own child now, I cherish every phone or Facetime call, every text message, every shared gif, every interaction with my family more and more. (There truly is nothing cuter than hearing my son say “Dio!” or “Mid-tee!” when he sees one of his aunties on a Facetime call.)
Please feel to subscribe to the sister newsletter here. I’ll be the first to admit it’s not for everyone, but also the first to admit that it’s been a helluva time creating this with my family and seeing what topics have been burning in my sisters’ minds, just waiting to be shared with the world.
I hope to see you over there. And if not, there is always here in this blog where I like to keep it up close and personal. If I get to it, I’ll try to talk about what happened this month and why I missed posting a blog post for the first time since I stood this blog up. It’s a heavy topic, but one I want and need to explore with you all so I don’t have to do it alone.
Until next time,
Jade