A note from the editorial team: For the first blog post of "The Tea Cup", our editors felt it was fitting to "start with the end". They invited Soror Twyla Taylor to pen a message to her (real life) sister and Soror - Stephanie Lawrence. Stephanie officially and successfully completed her second term as Basileus of the Beta Omicron Sigma Chapter this year. We wanted to be sure she knew that her hard work and selfless dedication for the past 4 years has been greatly appreciated.
--------
It is an honor for me to write about my Sister, Soror, and Friend, Stephanie Lawrence. As my big sister, Stephanie is a great role model because she leads by example. Being the eldest sister of the clan, we all look up to her and always seek her thoughts and opinions when making major decisions. Stephanie was also the “scholar” of the family and while she never fit the stereotypical look of a geek, she was definitely a geek at heart.
As my Soror, Stephanie encouraged me to join the organization. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake because my big sister was a member of the Sorority. That was a fleeting thought. As I recall the conversation in early 1990, after that first session, “this is the greatest Sorority and the more you put in, the more you will gain from the experience”.
I knew then that I was going to have to put in the time, focus on the tasks ahead and learn what had my sister enthusiastically engaged in all things Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Today, as her Legacy, I sometimes reminisce on my time in the pledge program and share laughs with my Line Sister over the years since going through the program in the Spring of 1990.
My experience with Sigma Gamma Rho has been so rewarding that I found myself sharing the same words of wisdom with our youngest sister who joined the Sorority early this year; “this is the greatest Sorority and the more you put in, the more you will gain from the experience”. She is still thanking me to this day for not telling her what to expect during her intake process.
It is not easy to find people like my sister Stephanie, who will willingly take the time to track your progress and help you grow. I feel fortunate and proud that she is my sister and Soror. Stephanie pushes one to be the very best version of themselves.
My big sister is also my friend. We talk daily and nothing made me happier when I convinced her to move to Charlotte. Thank you for telling me when I'm being too stubborn. Thank you for telling me when I have complained more about something than fixed it. Thank you for telling me when I deserve better.
Thank you for allowing me to have a pity party when life hasn't gone my way, but then helping me pack it up when it was time to move on and be better. And most importantly, thank you for sticking by my side and helping me improve myself. Our family has seen its biggest challenges over the last few months and when I thought we couldn’t get any closer, we seem to have forged an even stronger bond. And that’s my sister Stephanie! You are loved, admired, adored and honored.