Letters in the mail

“Here, letters in the mail it’s yours.” This phrase was spoken weekly by my husband pre-paperless days. I never thought much about that phrase until about three years ago when I asked him why he always said letters in the mail, it’s yours. His casual response, they had the letters Sigma and Kappa on the envelope so he knew the mail was for me.  It was his means of identifying something for me.

Fast-forward to the present and a co-worker’s wife, who is interning at the school I teach at, noticed my key chain lanyard. “Sigma Kappa.. I know those letters -some of my best friends are Sig Kap’s. They are awesome women” and there we forged a new connection all because of letters—and a 30 minute conversation talking about our sororities and how life is like from the alumnae perspective (she is in a different NPC group).

Two little letters that might be meaningless to some, identify so many women world wide and hold the power to unlocking who we are and who we connect with. So often I have the conversation of sororities are collegiate experiences, but for many of us the experience transcends our four years into for life.

Why? 

I have come to realize the little letters in the mail don’t just describe me but describe my support system for life. With membership I have found thousands of others with whom I share something scared, something mystic, something special about those letters—Sigma Kappa. 

Now what?

There is a book by Bill Cosby “You’ve graduated now what?” I have come to realize my sorority membership made more of an impact now than it did back in 1995 as a collegian. When unexpectedly lost my father when I was 23, not only did my chapter of initiation send flower, but I received calls, offers of help, flowers, you name it, from my alumnae chapter and the chapter I had just started advising. Women I barely knew were there for me all because of letters.  

Walking into a room you are guaranteed comfort zone of sincere friendship simply because you both share letters. There is a power amongst Greek’s…. we support our own. Whether it’s supporting Sigma Kappa or a friend in another NPC chapter letters stick together.

Leaping with my letters! 

A few years after graduating I realized I missed my letters and vowed to return to something that helped define and guide my collegiate days. I never wondered who to eat dinner with, where to study or if I had plans on a weekend, I had my sisters and we always had something to do. But as an alum I was working, in graduate school, planning a wedding, starting a career, then kids, and so on and so on…. Was there room for 2 little letters. Then I realized, they never left, they just waited, patiently until they were needed again. That’s the beauty of being an alum, there is always a place for everyone you just have to look for letters in the mail! I took my leap wearing my letters—my badge—and I found my sisters. I found an alumnae group. Women of all ages, from chapters spanning numerous states, but the laughter, the ambiance was like we all lived together in one house.  Through my sisters I found out ways to be more involved and began working with collegians as an advisor and national officer. Through these roles I met sisters with such a desire to assist our collegians in “finding their way.” 

So what about my letters in the mail?

While my mail is now in e-mail, it’s the same. I see my letters in the mail and I smile. A sister and I can connect, instantly, over our letters.  Our sorority membership makes it possible to continue to make dear friends who share similar values after college – through alum clubs and through service to the sorority organization whether big or small Sigma Kappa has benefited from all our sisters.  The “new friend” making, working together, sharing our experiences and modeling living our values for a common purpose, is not just for the collegians but alumnae world wide…

So where is your place? Where are your letters in the mail and do they define you?