your LETTERS
A Sister Relationship Developed in Spite of COVID-19 The development of a “special” sister relationship has been a positive surprise impacting our Chapter EP in Lakewood, Colorado. COVID-19 could not put a damper on this relationship evolving. Chapter EP was an International Peace Scholarship (IPS) Partner in Peace Chapter in 2020 and 2021. The Partner in Peace student we were matched with, Nomcebo Dlamini, is from Swaziland, Africa. Early in our emerging relationship we learned that Nomcebo had a twin sister and a daughter and son at home staying with her parents. It
was hard for her to leave her family when she was selected as an IPS recipient. She had been accepted at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, as a counseling student working toward a master’s degree hoping to graduate in May 2022. The serendipitous part of this “sisterhood” story is that, as the liaison between our chapter and Nomcebo, I was also involved with helping my twin granddaughters get ready to go off to their freshman year at college. Abby was going to Seattle and the University of Washington, and Emma was going to Syracuse University in New York. It was a surprise moment when I put these two Syracuse stories together! Nomcebo and Emma are two smart lovely woman, sharing P.E.O. and Syracuse connections as well as the fact that they each have a twin sister. — Judee Filip, EP, Lakewood, Colorado
Generosity & K indne ss
Sammie Jo Pack holds the 20" daisy star wreath she made for Chapter AI, Amarillo, Texas.
Ripples
of
Like ripples in water, acts of kindness and generosity can reach far beyond their point of origin. Our chapter was reminded of this when we attended the memorial service for our beloved Golden Girl, M.J. Nelson. Prior to the service, a sister from a nearby town arrived bearing a pretty star-shaped wreath covered in white silk daisies. She placed it beside the other flower tributes and after the service, she retrieved it before returning home. Her thoughtful action started a ripple. Days later, as our members reflected on M.J.’s memorial, it became obvious that the presence of that star wreath made an impact. It reminded us of how important P.E.O. is, not just to the members, but to those whose lives we touch. The things we do in the name of our organization last well beyond our time on earth. And the flowers on that star reminded us of each of our sisters who together form one larger dynamic body, positioned to shine and spread goodness into the world. Despite efforts to determine who brought the wreath that day and what the story is behind the daisy star wreath, we found no answers. Sisters and Golden Girls from other local chapters told us they had not heard of this practice before, but thought it was a lovely idea. Perhaps we didn’t need the backstory on the wreath after all. Instead, maybe we just needed to make sure this ripple continued. With that in mind, our Chapter AI sister and artist Sammie Jo Pack was commissioned to make a wreath we can use and share. We expect her beautiful creation to impact others for some time to come. Perhaps your chapter will be prompted to make one too. — Brenda Rush, AI, Amarillo, Texas
Editor’s Note: The P.E.O. Record attempts to present all viewpoints in response to published content. Responses published in Your Letters are limited to the single issue following the issue in which the material in question was printed and, as with all submissions to The Record, are published at the editor’s discretion and dependent upon available space.
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THE P.E.O. RECORD | May–June 2022
Women helping women reach for the stars
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