Since I started blog comments on “friendship-relationship“, I’m completing the week on the same note.

During my usual early a.m. ‘musing‘, I had loads of ideas for the next year as we grow both the Station and our F2F AWI neighborhood networks! One of them involves coming up with a membership “pin” that each woman receives when her membership application is approved (new for ‘09). Knowing the cost of our first annual “Woman of Excellence” medallion necklace, I quickly scrapped the idea of a custom-designed pin!!! I continued to think through what might work, be cost-effective, yet say what we want to say about “who we are” as “affiliated women“.

I hit on the idea of a “circle pin“. A simple plain circle in silver or gold finish (not the real thing of course). To me, the simplicity says one thing & the circle says another, and here’s what it says to me . . . .

Simplicity is what makes friendships-relationships (F- R) something to be valued! When F - R becomes complicated. . . it looses its value. No one wants to complicate life further than it is by cluttering it with complicated F - Rs. At least I don't! Just give me "clean, honest, open, simple F - Rs. If I have to always be on guard or wonder if I've said or done the wrong thing, then the F - R has become 'complicated' & that takes more from me than I may be willing to give. While this is not my favorite saying. . . it fits here: KISS or "Keep it Simple, Sister!"

The “Circle” says it all as far as I’m concerned. Have you noticed that when we sit at a “round table“, we can see everyone seated in one glance. No one is out of our line of sight. And there’s no head & no tail. Everyone around the table is there as an equal. And often the ‘leadership’ at a round table ebbs & flows - first one and then the next. A “round table” is symbolic to me of a circle that brings everyone together on the same terms - equals together! That’s why I always like AWI F2F venues to have round tables. I only wish more restaurants would catch on to the value of the round table & replace their square ones (yes I know it has to do with space, etc.)

A “circle” also denotes a continuous ‘flow’ of F - R! An unbroken chain of communication that maintains simple relationships in harmonious relationship. There’s a song that has a line about “and the circle - is unbroken.” It’s not easy to break a circle - especially when each one in the circle is interconnected with each other - holding hands to signify that interconnection. But not so tightly that we can’t let go long enough to welcome another into our ‘circle‘.

So as I continue to ‘muse’ this a.m. and write about my ‘musings‘, I’m more & more convinced that a “simple circle” pin is the right way to go as a symbol of “sisterhood” in our AWI F2F neighborhood networks. And it might as well be a symbol for those of us who have entered the “circle of F - R here at the STATION!”

Now having said that brings up a whole ‘nuther post comment. . . but I think I’ll leave that until tomorrow. So you don’t want to miss your daily visit to the STATION because it’s a weekend morning.

In closing, let our ‘motto’ be that the “circle is unbroken” - regardless of how we came to the ‘circle’

in the first place.

Much love,
Linda, a fellow journeyer
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