I TOOK OFF MY LETTERS

I think we can all attest to hearing the mantra "You are always wearing your letters" at least once in our time as a sorority member. Over the past few years that phrase has ingrained itself into the fraternity/sorority world and has stuck. It is a very true statement and it applies to all of us. From fraternity men to sorority women, new members to alumni, we are reminded that we are always representing our organization. 

However, sometimes we slip. We are human. Something happens to remind us that even though we should hold ourselves to a higher standard, that isn't the most important thing to us right now. It could be anything. I trust that many of us have forgotten our obligation to hold ourselves higher on our 21st birthday or during Spring Break. Maybe we just passed the GRE and want to celebrate after months of studying while also balancing the normal school load. I cannot tell you how many times I got mad at another Sister's action and talked bad about her. Was it therapeutic? A little. Did it fix anything? No.

Though these are not our best moments they happen. We reel from them and rededicate ourselves to our organization - whether we want to or not (hello, Standards). It is our responsibility to learn what it right and wrong. What aligns with our values and what fits outside that box. The great thing about being a member of a sorority is that you are able to constantly challenge yourself to make yourself a better person. Our organizations set out some guidelines and it is up to us to figure out how much of that is who we really are. Even though we sometimes take our letters off, we can always put them back on.