As a woman who is part of a sorority, I am more than used to all the stereotypes. People will always think what they want to about groups they know nothing about but the truth really is until you are a part of it, you could never genuinely know what it means to be in a Greek house. It's okay to have opinions, it's okay to not like everyone and it's even okay to avoid people you don't necessarily find appealing. Hell, I don't even care if you stereotype me for being in a house and not being afraid to share that with anyone and everyone. I am damn proud to be a Gamma Phi girl and you can tell me all day long how lame that is or how annoying that makes me. It will not change a thing.

However, what got to me was my best friend on the planet assuming the stereotype is true and perpetuating it. To my face, she spoke about having no desire to be around sorority women, at least not the ones she knew. Of course, there was plenty of back peddling to specify that she only meant the ones at her school as if they are somehow so different and so much worse than the ones at mine? If I am being honest, it felt like she had just bitch-slapped me. Wait, but she said "no offense," so none taken, right?

Let me just break down what I heard when she said this. I heard one my dearest, my closest friends tell me that, despite having met several of my sisters, she would rather do nothing than spend time with my friends from school and I. I heard her outwardly admit that she has some sort of prejudice against the girls who have given me a place to call home while I'm away from my family.

Now I'm not writing because I'm mad. I'm writing because this really hurt me. My house has not only become my home away from home but my sisters have become my best friend while I'm away from her. When I unknowingly bought a backless dress for a formal I had sisters in Walmart with me at midnight helping me decide which backless bra would work best and be comfortable because I had never needed one before.

Trivial, I know, but that's what best friends are for. When the anniversary of the worst day of my life rolled around it was a sister that hugged me. When I didn't do well on a test, when I missed my mom, when I thought I couldn't do it anymore, and even when I broke up with my boyfriend, it was a sister who got Taco Bell with me to make me feel better. So how could my best friend not recognize that my sisters are nothing less than amazing women? How could the girl who is the closest thing to a real sister I've ever had think less of the women I hope she'll be standing next to on my wedding day?

I guess my point is simply that being in a house does not define me, my sisters or anyone for that matter. It's the same way that which university you go to, what city you choose to live in and what kind of car you drive shouldn't define you.