Dear Helenes
In Helenes, we have this beautiful thing called the Friendship Book. Each week, a Helene writes a letter to one of her fellow sisters that she admires and is thankful for, and then passes the book onto her. The idea is that the book will travel into a new Helene’s arms every week, so that we can appreciate and love all of our members. Because I cannot personally write a Friendship Book entry to each and every Helene, I’d like to think of this post as one giant entry. So, with that being said –
Dear Helenes,
When my cousin found out I was coming to USC, the one piece of advice he gave me was to join this group of incredibly loving, kind, and supportive women who have the biggest hearts for their community, school, and each other. And by some sort of miracle, little freshman Rachel was lucky enough to join the loving family of Helenes. Fast forward 2 ½ years to the present day, and all I can say to all of you is thank you.
To E-board 2014, thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to find a home in Helenes. Thank you for giving me the confidence to believe that despite my self-perceived shortcomings and insecurities, I have the ability to make a difference in people’s lives simply by being myself. To this day I still admire the way you loved one another and Helenes during and after your time on E-board. You showed me how much love Helenes has to offer, and I’m so grateful to all of you.
To Fall ’14, thank you for being some of my first friends at USC. I don’t know how many people are lucky enough to say they met and got to know 24 of their role models in one semester, but that’s what happened to me. Although it has been over 2 years and we’re not even all at USC anymore, I’m still just as in awe of you as I was when we first met. I love you all dearly, and I am fully convinced that each one of you is going to change the world no matter where you go.
To the beloved Famil-E-board, thank you for being for being so bright, so passionate, so kind, so strong and yet so vulnerable, and so loving. Thank you for teaching me how to genuinely care for people, and for being some of my greatest friends. I honestly cannot imagine my life without the weekly roses & thorns, the ridicuclouds, the undying love for Trio and boba, the ~roasts~, and all the times we laughed together, cried together, and loved one another together. I am thankful, grateful, and blessed to have each one of you in my life, and I truly love you more than I can put into words.
To the women of Helenes Bible study, thank you for being both my treasured friends and sisters in Christ. Thank you for your wisdom, and for showing me how I can better love God and people more. Whether you were a senior when I first came to Bible study, or a freshman that just joined this year, I have learned so much from you, and I am so glad I can confide in you and walk through life with you. I am so encouraged by the way you live your lives, and I know that God will continue to mold you into beautiful, wise women of Christ.
And finally, to all Helenes, past and present, thank you for just being yourselves. Who you are as people is what has shaped our organization throughout the years, and I cannot think of a better group of women to be surrounded by. Each of you is the definition of a loving and compassionate friend, and you have brought so much joy into my life and the lives of others as well. Whether we’ve had a billion conversations together or never even met, you have impacted my life simply by being a Helene. Thank you for your hearts for this organization and for each other, and thank you for giving me the best home at USC.
Helenes love and all of mine,
Rachel
