We didn’t write this book alone. We could have. Both of us are fully capable of penning these lessons and scripting these stories all on our own, but we didn’t want to. In our guts, we knew it wasn’t supposed to be a solo effort. It was supposed to be done together.
We knew there was something beautiful and significant and poignant about birthing this book on friendship through the work of our own friendship.
We love how this friendship has grown us and how it has carried us through some tough times. We love how this friendship has endured, and we love how it came to be.
It wasn’t by accident.
We connected through blogging groups, and it didn’t take us long to realize we were cut from the same cloth. We quickly bonded over our love of the Enneagram, Mexican food, going commando in leggings, and sharing way too much information with people we hardly know.
Our first conversations were hours long. We talked about everything from pop culture to whether Topo Chico or La Croix was better. We found it natural to chat and to laugh, and we found it equally easy to dig into the nitty-gritty of our lives and hearts.
We built safety and trust as we shared our real-life struggles and our real-life desires, particularly on the topic of sisterhood.
As the days and months passed and our friendship grew, we talked about how independent the world had become and how much we longed to make a difference.
We talked about our heartbreaks, our years spent in loneliness, and all the times we wondered what the heck was so wrong with us that we didn’t have any friends. We talked about our stories of redemption and how we had both come to build some amazing friendships.
We dreamed of conferences and speaking on stages. We dreamed of books and communities and giving women a space to come alive, a space to feel accepted, and a space to feel secure. And we dreamed of strong relationships—the kind of relationships we knew these women craved deep down.
And before we knew it, our own tiny corner of the internet—Sister, I Am With You—came to be.
We poured into that place. We prayed over that place. We wrote our hearts out. We watched this tiny spark become a fire, and we watched that fire grow and burn and light up women from all over the world, from all different ages and walks of life.
Every word of this book was born from our hearts, our stories of struggle and loneliness as well as precious friendships. But this book was also born from our friendship. It was born through late-night texts of “I don’t think I can do this.” It was born through a hundred phone calls of laughing, venting, and encouraging. It was born through “It’s going to be okay, I promise” and “We can do this, I’m sure.” It was born through “Have I told you lately how much I love you and how amazing you are?” It was born through random selfies of our double chins just to make each other laugh. It was born through flowers sent just because. It was born through a surprise package of Ted Lasso stickers, and it was born in the year 2020 when absolutely everything was in upheaval and we needed sisterhood more than ever.
The message of this book is simple: let’s not do life alone; let’s do it together. And that’s exactly how this book was written—together.
We can honestly tell you that although we could have written it separately, this book is a million times more beautiful because we created it with each other.
We don’t know what your story has been; we don’t know what brought you here today; we don’t know what heartbreaks you’ve suffered; we don’t know what beautiful friendships you’ve had and have. All we know is we’re so glad you’re here.
This is our prayer for you:
Dear Jesus,
We pray for the one who is lonely. We’ve been there, and we’ve felt it. We know how excruciating it can be.
We pray for the one who wonders if she’s too much, not enough, and for all the women who teeter-totter back and forth between these two extremes.
Show her that there’s nothing wrong with her; she just hasn’t met the right people yet.
Show her that she is held, that she’s victorious, and that she’s your most marvelous creation. Encourage her heart, and fill up her mind with all the beautiful thoughts you have for her. Let her know we need her here because what she brings is priceless and unique.
We pray for the one who feels defeated, for the one who doesn’t know how to begin, and for the one who is exhausted. Would you bring her peace? Would you bring her comfort? Would you bring her friends? Highlight the ones she should pursue, and let there be opportunities to meet new people in the most unexpected ways. Give her the bravery it takes to be authentic, and vulnerable, and real, and give her the courage to try.
We pray for the one who has a broken heart and wounded wings and is afraid to fly again. Patch her up. Wrap her in care, and set her free.
And most of all, help her feel completely loved—from the top of her messy bun to the bottom of her feet, even her toenails that badly need a pedicure.
Shower her with grace and an abundance of rest. Fill her heart with hope and her mind with peace, and let her wake up with energy, excitement, and the very fullest of hearts.
Let this book meet her where she is. Use the stories to help her feel seen and these words to help her feel valued. Let the things she finds here stick with her, and let them change her.
And please, let this book help her smile too.
Amen.
love,
Amy and Jess
