Sisterhood + Service = Gratitude

Today was a very productive day volunteering at Soy Niña, Soy Importante. Seeing everyone just so happy to be present in the moment with great laughs and smiles makes me even happier to be here.. Having the opportunity to experience 2 workshops with them was amazing. Seeing how excited they were to launch their bottle rocket and getting to know them by the affirmations they chose for themselves was truly heartwarming. After the two workshops, they offered us an opportunity to stay and have lunch with them. I loved eating with the girls because we could freely interact without an agenda or workshop. Their staff was so kind and insisted that we ate before we left, but before we could leave, we participated in the Soy Nina, Soy Importante tradition of singing, dancing, and doing the limbo.  Overall, it was a great time being with them. 

After community service, we went home to refresh, then went to a dance class to learn a traditional Dominican Dance, La Bachata. At the beginning of the class, I was enthusiastic and eager to learn, but by then end of the session, I was over it. The moves were getting more complicated and my legs weren’t doing their job, LOL. But other than that, it was a fun experience and of course the other Global Love Leaders made it even more fun. They cracked jokes to make me and others laugh,  which I’d say I’m really grateful to have shared a laugh with them. We then went home to refresh and enjoy dinner together. We had salmon, steak, and potatoes, which was delicious. Being at the dinner table brings so much joy to me because we are all together at the same time, enjoying what others have to share about their day both good and bad. It’s a real sisterhood and I love it. Doing community service, and sharing moments of joy, laughter and challenges was the highlight of this day. 

After dinner, we meditated and journaled about gratitude. I honestly enjoyed journaling about gratitude. I was so grateful for everything, I began to cry. I felt so emotional and overjoyed with gratitude. What a blessing! After journaling, we headed to bed to rest. That was our day of sisterhood and service.

​Amy Rodriguez
​Cohort 2023