As a freshman in college, I was the girl that wanted nothing to do with Greek life, and joining a sorority was the last thing on my mind. I saw sororities as one giant clique- and I wholeheartedly took the stereotypes as face value to convince myself that I did not want to join Greek life. And yet, despite my initial skepticism, somehow the women in pink came into my life and stole my heart. If my freshman self-saw joining a sorority (or in this case, a women's Fraternity because HOW COOL IS THAT) to be one of the worst decisions I could make, then my senior self completely disagrees- because accepting my bid from Phi Mu was one of the best decisions I ever made. I did not become a part of Phi Mu; Phi Mu became a part of me, and I can never thank my sisters or my Fraternity enough for what you did and continue to do for me. Here are just a few sentiments of gratitude that I only hope can come close to adequately explaining my love for the sisterhood of love, honor, and truth.

Dear Phi Mu,

You could not have come into my world at a better time. You found me at a pivotal time in my life. While I was excited about college and loving the new independence, I was struggling to adjust to what exactly college brought my way. I was having trouble making friends, I wondered if people really liked me for who I was. I was floundering under the crashing waves of my studies, and I was beginning to drown in feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. When you came into my world, you showed me that I did not have to change myself or fit into a mold to be loved and accepted. In fact, you encouraged me to reach past the stars and work to my highest potential. My personal life goal is to be the best version of myself today and to work to be a better version of my best self, tomorrow. Thank you for being one of my biggest motivators to achieve that goal.

Even though the world is wide and the horizons of my life wider, thank you for the reassurance that someone will always be in my corner. For me, who stands on the precipice of major life decisions, the world can seem pretty big and daunting. No matter where I go, there will always be a Phi Mu sister near. Whether she be near in distance or near in my thoughts and my heart, I will have my sisters' love and support for the rest of my life- and for that, I could not be more comforted and grateful.

You showed me how to open my eyes and my heart to the world beyond first glances. While it may be cliche, it is incredibly accurate to say that there is SO much more than what meets the eye. The media tends to want us to see things through pairs of glasses that have twisted lenses. When I first saw you, I look at you through dark and dirty lenses, and all I could see was darkness. When I finally saw you for what you were, my world was flooded with light. I began to see things with a new perspective. Through this new vision, I found courage and boldness I never knew I had. God had given them to me all along, but I think it was when I had a group of women supporting and challenging me when I finally realized my strength. I found continual happiness in doing the right thing, and the strength and humility to fix things when I was wrong. Thank you for being that extra push that motivates me to be a strong leader, a better person, and a Godly woman.

Thank you for giving me sisters all over the world, but thank you especially for the sisters at my own chapter. They are nothing short of amazing to me. They love one another for the sake of love, and they strive to make the world a better place with every smile and every duty, small or large. The love within our bond transcends to the rest of campus, the community, and the world, and their positivity and light that they bring to each day makes life anything but dull and dreary. Their passion lies in sisterhood, and their love only grows stronger within the joys of being perfectly imperfect. They have rejoiced with me in some of my happiest moments, and they comforted me in times of hardship, sickness, and loss. They make my quest to be my best self an easy one. I want to be my best self for me so that in turn I can be the best sister to them. They surround me in unending love, hold me to highest honorable standards, and are never shy to tell me the truth. I love them endlessly, thank you for being the strongest tie that binds us together.

So, to my dear Phi Mu, thank you for giving me a group of God-fearing, genuine, supportive sisters. Thank you for giving me a creed to live by. Thank you for making me proud to be a woman in pink. Thank you for the women who will always be there through the good, the bad, and the just because. With three principles and two Greek letters all bound together in one sisterhood, I could not be more thankful and humbled to be a Phi Mu now and for the rest of my life. Most importantly, thank you for the past, present, and future filled with endless love, honor, and truth.

Love, one of the blessed.