Circlehood/Sisterhood: a post by Lesa Mann

Lesa and her daughter Andrea

Harmony

A Women’s Chorale

I belong to a women’s singing group called Harmony. We are all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although we are not affiliated with the Church, it is through our membership in this church that we became acquainted.

At any one time we typically have 16 women in the group. Members have come and gone over the years, but Harmony has been around for 26 years now. There have been around 80 women who have been a member of our group at one time or another.

We are all wives and mothers with busy lives, hobbies, families and careers, but we love singing and serving in our community.

For the past 26 years, every Thursday morning during the school year, this group gathers (in a circle) to sing for 3 hours. We hire a babysitter for all the preschoolers and thoroughly enjoy our time preparing a 30-minute program to perform at area schools, convalescent homes, hospitals, service clubs, etc. We perform about 30 times a year.

But the real story doesn’t involve notes and rhythm. The real story is our sisterhood. As we have sung, talked, shared, laughed and cried---we have developed an amazing love for each other. We have learned that every person’s life is a roller coaster – but it is nicer to share the ups and down with women who will hang on and share the ride with you, side by side!

I think we have weathered and celebrated it all: marriages, divorces, babies, stillborn babies, cancer, unemployment, depression, juvenile diabetes, world travels, death of spouse, college degrees, drowning, pregnancy, infertility, new careers, adoption, for richer, for poorer, and so on. We have helped one another hang on tight and stay steady through it all.

And when a group has loved this deeply, our performances have not only a wonderful vocal blend, but also a spiritual blend, that our audiences feel and almost always comment on. We exude love, warmth and unity that are palpable. We are women who have shared the inevitabilities of life and continue to smile because we can depend on our Savior, Jesus Christ and we have the shared strength of our sisterhood.

I am honored to be numbered among the wonderful sisterhood of Harmony!