Letter 1 to my Soul Sisters: Saluting all, Chaos Coordinators!!
My dear soul sisters,
I feel this undeniable urge to start a series of letters to you. I have been thinking about it for a while. What do you need to qualify as my soul sister? It is simple - you are someone whose life experiences and stories resonate with mine or touch a chord with me. Whether we are the same age, younger or older than each other, we are all women thriving (with a dash of struggles!) in the 21st century. We have dealt with things from taking care of our family, kids, motherhood pains, working and coping in an era of intense burnout and the need to multitask, being introverts in an extroverted world or vice versa, dealt with grief, difficult relationships, and more. We have loved, lost, and found a way to authentically be ourselves in an era of many demands placed on us. So today, I start this series of letters to you - to share glimpses of my life’s journey. My biggest win would be if it provides comfort like a soothing balm on a rough day, or a laugh or a thing that sparks conversation/discussion between us.
I thought about timing this first ever letter to you all, and decided that it had to be today, since it is Mother’s day. There would be no better day to begin this series, because each of us is fortunate to be here today thanks to a mother who birthed us. Through our life we have been fortunate to have been mothered by someone; we have mothered someone (human/ fur baby/ plants/ have given life to organizations from scratch) and/or wish to mother someone in the future. And I am sure we have all experienced the true meaning of a mother/mother figure as described in the anecdote that I share below!
Being a stay at home mom, I hardly ever get to see the inside of an office these days. A month or so back, I got to visit one as we were picking up our newly leased ride for me - and as I browsed the office space, I was intrigued by all the plaques and nicks and knacks the lady proudly kept in her office. There was one plaque that stood out to me. It said, and I quote:
Chaos Coordinator
Someone who solves problems you never knew existed in ways that will blow your mind
See also; ninja, rockstar, legend
As I visualized this word come to life - I could only picture one image. An image of a mother or a mother figure. Those who sacrifice themselves without a thought for the good of their families and children. Those who epitomize unconditional love. Those who rejoice in their offspring's success and those who secretly shed tears of fear while portraying the strongest armor to all in times of their child's distress.
I have been blessed as I was born to such a mother - a strong woman inside out, who loved deeply and grew up in a time when it was ok to just be the CEO of her home. Because that role came with as much or more chaos coordination as the role of any CEO in this day and age. Yet she made an effort to grow each day. Learn. Master existing skills such as painting, cooking, singing and build new ones like becoming the president of a charitable organization's chapter after she was 65 years old.
I have also been blessed to have many others who mothered me (and sometimes still mother me to this day!) - my sisters, aunts, nieces, friends - all my soul sisters as I learn from them each day. How to be a better me. I hear their tales of fears, wisdom, rebuttals to my existing opinions helping shape new thoughts and perspectives. All this alongside their day jobs - as CEOs of their homes, conscientious full time working professionals, each wearing multiple hats at all given moments with a smile on their face. They often shy away when we discuss their triumphs.
Today, I want to salute those of you who play this role of Chaos Coordinator so effortlessly, to me or many others in your lives. Thank you for all you do as mothers or mother figures. Thank you for joining my circle of trust today, by being here and reading this letter I wrote to you. Thank you and hope you find it in you today (and always!) to pat your own back and appreciate yourself for all that you do. Even when it seems it is never enough. Because, remember you are chaos coordinators - aka legends, rockstars and ninjas in your own right!
Love you always,
Your soul sister - Jhumur