Tri Sigma Blog The official blog of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority

We’re so amazed by the experiences of the Labyrinth graduates, it simply does not do the journey  justice to attempt to articulate what these women observed and offered to each other during the five day journey. Our leadership programs are powerful. They are focused on developing women who will change the world. And these women will now walk through the world having shared something singular and unique. We’re hoping to tell their stories this summer, and we’re pleased to have the first blog entry less than 24 hours after the group departed.

Our first blogger is Christa Hoen, Beta Tau – University of Detroit Mercy. Christa connects her experience with the Labyrinth to the desire to choosing the right path of living our values.

The Labyrinth experience was truly the most pivotal point in my Tri Sigma life so far. This past week has made all of my connections deeper and stronger by not only connecting to our core values, but connecting to other sisters from all across the country. Standing next to our National President in the front room of the Mable Lee Walton House, while we renewed our Sigma pledge was absolutely inspiring and such an honor. I feel so rooted in our history and rooted in all things Tri Sigma. When asked during our wrap up of our week how the experience affected us, I couldn’t help but to think of a quote by Sylvia Plath from The Bell Jar that is one of my favorites, stating:

“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.” – Sylvia Plath
I’ve always connected with this concept, of wanting it all, and not being able to choose the right path which relates to the whole concept of going through your own labyrinth, but this experience has helped me to make sense of all of this in a new light. I’ve learned that you can’t see your life as picking specific figs or branches, but rather as growing the fullest fig tree there ever was. With Sigma Sigma Sigma as my roots, and my guiding light, I can have it all through my sisters. From these connections and bonds, I get to experience all of those different adventures through their lives, and their stories. This is something that will resonate with me for the rest of my life. It is the belief in your sisters and the return of that in our values. Wisdom, power, faith, hope and love guides us through everything, and with my sisters on my side, it is easy to get through anything and experience everything.

Living through those values, anything is possible, no matter if it is within our own chapters, nationally within our sorority, inter-fraternally or on a world-wide spectrum. These values keep us together and help us to grow to our fullest potentials. The Labyrinth was so influential on my life, and I would like to thank absolutely everyone who sent money to foundation which supported the program, to our facilitators and to executive council. This once in a lifetime opportunity was one that has affected me in the greatest sense, and I can’t wait to give all that I’ve learned back to the sorority.