The Bees -100 Women Who Care

This is not my first rodeo; I have been here before, the new girl. Honestly, I am a pro; this is season 10 of my roadshow (the number of zip codes I have lived in). I wave to the group,” hi, I am Monica. I recently moved back to the area. Happy to find a group to play tennis with.”

I am greeted with a sea of smiles. I scan the group. These women know each other. The comfort amongst them was established long before this moment. I notice the trio in the corner of my eye – the ‘sisterhood’ is apparent from the onset. They stand in unison, and their connection is obvious. They give away their position easily; personal space does not exist between them. There is ease as they lean in and speak at close range. This friendship goes beyond the tennis court… they are more than friends. My observations are validated. I discover that for Suha, Amy, and Lisa (the sisters), tennis is merely an intersection, a four-way stop if you will, a home base for all the shenanigans life offers.  

From the instant I introduce myself, the sisters swarm like bees. The queen bee takes the lead. I am now a flower in their garden, and ALL flowers bloom in their garden, including the new girl. I retreat; I need a minute; I am taken back by their friendliness. The burden is typically on me, the new kid, to initiate conversation, to make friends. People usually hang back, size me up. The Sweet Bees throw me for a giant loop. For a split second, I buy into the idea that it is me; I am attracting the Bees with my good vibes, but I quickly discover this is not the case. It turns out I am not special. The Bees treat everyone this way; it’s their signature brand, buzzing around, sprinkling kindness, and ensuring all living things coexist in peace and with love.

I stumble upon 100 Women Who Care weeks after our first encounter. Tennis clinics do not afford the luxury of long conversations. Time is not allotted for open-ended questions; the exchanges are quick. Generally, we take advantage and catch-up during ball pick-up; how are the kids? Have you tried the new bakery? Etc. I overhear the sisters talking, ‘How many are we expecting tonight? It’s hard to pick one; I want them all to win; I hope I don’t cry; Who am I kidding? I always cry; where are we eating? (food is a running theme with these girls) I interrupt; this meeting sounds mysterious. What are you on about? 

‘The 100 Women meeting’. Me-blank look, huh? I don’t know what that is. They share details modestly and casually. Is this meant to be a secret group? I ask. ‘Not at all, you should come, check it out; there is no obligation to join.’

I am left needing more, I try to fill in the holes… ‘Let me get this straight, the three of you launched a chapter of 100 women in Northville; Your goals are to raise funds for charities; A quarterly meeting is held to determine the benefactor; You collect fifteen thousand from members- give or take- depending on the quarter, and ALL the funds go directly to charity?” They nod in agreement. A long pause from me…and you didn’t think to lead with this? I am met with blank stares…they are not convinced. 

I peruse their website, and the first thing I notice is the absence of the sisterhood. I must look hard to discover that they are the founders of the Northville chapter. The more I delve in, the more I appreciate that this is purposeful. Their soft sales approach for 100 Women begins to make sense. They are deeply appreciative of the members and are thrilled to pieces to help charities thrive. But they are not interested in personalizing their endeavor. They certainly do not want accolades. Rather, the Bees are quick to dismiss their awesomeness and dodge compliments, “Oh, we are just facilitators…we are one of many members…it is not a lot of work… the real heroes are the charities … just happy that deserving organizations benefit.”

The humility they serve up is genuine and refreshing. They are uncomfortable with the limelight and prefer to navigate under the radar. Ask them for help of any kind, and they are happy to oblige. Invite them to promote their work, to advertise their generosity, to acknowledge that their dedication is making the world better, our community better, Nah, not really interested. It becomes noticeably clear; attention is not their MO.

It does not sit well as an onlooker. Personally, I want them to sell 100 Women with gusto. I want them to scream it from the rooftop. ‘Heck yeah, this is what we are doing; we are making a real difference. You don’t have the money to commit, no worries, got a few hours to volunteer? These organizations could use a few hands. Don’t have time, got any stuff laying around, this organization could use some items. Don’t have stuff; tell your friends and family about us.’ But it’s not their style. So, this is me, doing my part to illuminate the illuminators. This is me yelling from my rooftop, Bees, you are remarkable! The work you do is meaningful, impactful… you are do-gooders in the best possible way. I am shining the spotlight on you; Oh, it’s bright, don’t look away, smile; I want everyone to know you and know the work you do is important.

Suha

There are no official titles amongst the ladies, but Suha is in the driver’s seat. This girl is on a mission. Excuses are not part of her repertoire. The idea of 100 women came to be over dinner with Lisa. The conversation started with discussing 100 Men Who Care, and by the time dessert was served, a plan for 100 Women was in motion.

By all accounts, Suha is efficient and operates swiftly. She is the organizer. She assembles and mobilizes. No detail is too small. Suha is also the one who infuses fun into the mix; after all, some rules are meant to be broken. 

Suha’s positive energy is palpable, she draws you in with her charm, but you end up staying for the real conversations and the laughs. At the core, Suha is deeply rooted in God-centered traditional values. Her faith is beautiful to witness. Indeed, her compass points true north.

In addition to the monetary assistance 100 Women offers, Suha finds happiness in the quarterly meetings’ compounding effect. This aligns with Suha’s personality. She is a connector, an agent for bringing people together. The collaboration amongst organizations, together is better, is music to her ears.

Amy

Amy, Amy, Amy! She is the yummy center of lava cake. A blend of warmth, sweetness, and deliciousness served with a giant spoonful of kindness. She is flexible, loyal, and trustworthy. She cares deeply, and her energy is pure goodness. She has this ‘gotcha’ vibe that grabs you with her smile. You instantly feel like you have a friend in her. Amy doesn’t speak out of turn and comes off as a bit shy. She is the least likely to grab the microphone. It is not because she doesn’t have anything to say; quite the contrary, she has a lot to say. She is intuitive, compassionate, and has a real grasp on this so-called life. She does not require or want attention. There is quiet confidence; she knows exactly who she is. She takes pure delight in the journey and operates from a gratitude viewpoint, a blessed life that radiates on to others.

Amy recognizes the power of 100 Women, the merging of financial resources. Amy spends more time pondering over, ‘how can we make the pot bigger…more members…more sponsorships?”. She recognizes that even an extra hundred dollars are significant to the charities they serve.

Lisa

Lisa’s eyes are piercing and transparent. They reveal a soulful humanitarian. There is a bohemian feel to Lisa, earthy, grounded, relaxed. Yet, she is exceedingly worldly and sophisticated. Her last name, ‘Wiseley,’ suits her; A philanthropist guided by wisdom and empathy. She is on a mission to promote human welfare and social reform. She speaks openly of the holes in her heart (loss), holes that seemed unbearable to fill until she discovered that the only path forward is to love more, to love harder.

She, too, loves raising money for 100 Women. Lisa has big dreams and uses the meetings as a learning space to identify community needs. All the sisters are WILLING to roll up their sleeves and help, but Lisa WANTS to roll up her sleeves and do the hard stuff. She wants to give her time, love, and influence to help others. She wants to look people right in the eye and say, “I see you; I am here, I am going to help, and it is going to start with love.” She is keenly aware of her superpower, to love harder. As the itch to do more intensifies, no doubt she will discover her calling. And when she does, watch out world, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.

The Bees are the epitome of a triangle friendship. Friends who chose to be family, to be sisters. They strike the perfect chord of trust, truth, and respect. It is adorable to sit with them individually, the way they praise each other, if it weren’t for Suha’s determination, if it weren’t for Amy’s thoughtfulness, if it weren’t for Lisa’s compassion, they are absolutely in love with each other.  

I finally understand their modesty. Here’s the thing, these gals were born illuminators. Being good is woven into the fabric of their souls. Of course, they can’t distinguish with 100 Women Who Care; to them, it is who they are, who they have always been. 100 Women is a vehicle, but nothing will change with the Bees if the vehicle goes away tomorrow. We would find them swarming others with love, with service, doing right by people.     

Keep swarming, Bees; your flower garden is magnificent, you make the world a better place. I am proud to know you and to be a member of 100 Women Who Care. Keep guiding us, you are bright shining stars.

XO,

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