The Sisters of Misadventures

“Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy.” Proverbs 29:9

About 12 years ago “The Sisters of Misadventures” was born. We didn’t have a plan to create anything formal, it was just a spontaneous creative name born out of a laughter-filled adventure with a couple of old high school friends.  Although we didn’t set out with any rules, our mutual sense of adventure set the pace that allowed for spontaneity, detours and finding memorable moments off the beaten track. It gave space for silliness, openness, and vulnerability.  Once we had a taste of that freedom and fun, we wanted more, and today we keep coming back together to “write” another chapter in the book of The Sisters of Misadventures!

Awaken our hearts with joy

When I recently read the Proverb “Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy” I had an “aha” moment. That is exactly what happens when we take the time to nurture and seek the uplifting power of genuine friendships. This proverb emphasizes the emotional and spiritual benefits of having good friends who offer support and unconditional understanding. The proverb suggests that close, positive friendships have a deep and beneficial effect on your well-being. “Awaken our hearts with joy” indicates that these friendships bring happiness, laughter, and a sense of lightheartedness.

Evolution of Friendships

I was recently sharing with my 30-year old daughter about how friendships evolve throughout our lifetime. When I was 30, I was a busy new mom raising a toddler far away from my high school friends who were doing the same busy things. Distance and the busy-ness of life got in the way of fostering and nurturing those friendships. But, as we approached 50 we had the time once again to rekindle and foster friendships that provides emotional and spiritual renewal.

Misadventures or Adventures?

While the literal meaning of “misadventures” may seem like it has negative connotations, we wear it as badge of pride, a call to spontaneous action. Where will the day take us? Which direction should we go? What should we try that we’ve never tried before? What new friends can we make? Will it all work out…who cares, let’s have fun anyways! All of these spontaneous decisions have led us to the most memorable outings.

Keep It Simple, but Keep It Coming

Because we don’t live near each other, we don’t see each other often, so we need to be intentional about getting together. Sometimes there’s two or three of us, sometimes more. The important thing is keep it simple, keep it fun, and keep it spontaneous. One of our most memorable outings was when we dropped a dime on a map and planned a day around having fun getting to that location and then having fun experiencing it. (Hello, Clyman, Wisconsin!) We make a point to go places where locals hang out, start chatting with them, learning about their town, asking their recommendations.

Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

The Sisters of Misadventures recently got together for an outing on a beautiful Fall day and I spontaneously invited my 30-year old daughter Katie to join us. I jokingly warned her there was an initiation, so she wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity to dance with us on a sandy beach while listening to “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire. We didn’t care if people that saw us thought we were a bit crazy, we were too busy “awakening our hearts with joy”.

Who are your potential Sisters of Misadventures? 

They are out there waiting!  Go find them, then plan a simple, spontaneous outing that will refresh your souls and awaken joyful hearts!

We need a world full of Sisters of Misadventures!

~ Therese Oldenburg, a Sister of Misadventures