International Women’s Day and a Sisterhood Necklace

Why do I wear an elephant necklace?  It’s not political if that’s what you’re thinking! It’s all about sisterhood – strong, beautiful sisterhood.

I’ve had the honor of witnessing Jen Hatmaker speak – both in 2019 and 2020 before the world shut down.

The Elephant Story as told by Jen Hatmaker

“In the wild, when a mama elephant is giving birth, all the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. They close ranks so that the delivering mama cannot even be seen in the middle. They stomp and kick up dirt and soil to throw attackers off the scent and basically act like a pack of badasses.

They surround the mama and incoming baby in protection, sending a clear signal to predators that if they want to attack their friend while she is vulnerable, they’ll have to get through 40 tons of female aggression first.

When the baby elephant is delivered, the sister elephants do two things: they kick sand or dirt over the newborn to protect its fragile skin from the sun, and then they all start trumpeting, a female celebration of new life, of sisterhood, of something beautiful being born in a harsh, wild world despite enemies and attackers and predators and odds.

Scientists tell us this: They normally take this formation in only two cases – under attack by predators like lions, or during the birth of a new elephant.

This is what we do, girls. When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are giving birth to new life, new ideas, new ministries, new spaces, when they are under attack, when they need their people to surround them so they can create, deliver, heal, recover…we get in formation. We close ranks and literally have each others’ backs. You want to mess with our sis? Come through us first. Good luck.

And when delivery comes, when new life makes its entrance, when healing finally begins, when the night has passed and our sister is ready to rise back up, we sound our trumpets because we saw it through together. We celebrate! We cheer! We raise our glasses and give thanks.”

My Sisterhood Necklace

After the first conference attendees were constantly looking for elephants. One of the attendees happened to be a jewelry designer – Crystalyn Aucoin. And she designed the gorgeous elephant pendant that I wear. It has so many meaningful details…she has eyelashes, her truck is trumpeting, her leg is up and ready to go. It is a constant reminder of our “sisterhood”.

On International Women’s Day, know that I have your back and I am cheering you on…today and always!

Women who do not compete with other women, Women willing to stand with their sisters in the fire. Women who build each other up and rise together. Those women aren’t just women, they are queens.

-Brooke Hampton

And I am blessed to be surrounded by lots of queens in my life. Women who stand by my side and lift me up. And I hope all the women in my life know I am here to stand by their side and lift them up!

One Final Note

And I’ll leave you with this – Crystalyn puts a card in with all her pieces of jewelry telling a little more about it. The card with the elephant “sisterhood” necklace says “This design is inspired by the power of sisterhood. It stands for community, loyalty and strength. Each woman who wears this piece is a part of a tribe larger than herself. She is protected, supported and valued beyond measure.”