One motto, one badge, and singleness of heart

Today is the day.
I open my dusty jewelry box
and take out the tiny badge held within.

I hold it in my hand
turning it over
admiring the minuscule greek letters etched on its back.
I gently unlatch the clasp and pin it to my sweater.

I haven't placed this shining gold badge over my heart in over a year.
I missed this.
I never thought it would mean this much to me.

I joined a women's fraternity in hopes of making friends in an unfamiliar place.
At first I was reluctant to participate
I didn't want to change who I was or how I dressed.
I didn't want to change how I acted.
I thought the fraternity would change me,
and it did.

It changed me for the better.

This bright token, our badge, it means more to me than any other piece of jewelry I own.
It is more than three gold letters stacked upon each other.
It is more than an inexpensive momento from my college days.

It is a steadfast reminder of my pledge.
It is reminder that I am loved and valued.
It is the physical manifestation of the bond my sisters and I share.
Of the promises we made
The values we swore to uphold
The secret rituals that lay at our very core.

This is the true face of my fraternity.
Our sisterhood.
One motto, one Badge, and singleness of heart,
Loyal forever, Alpha to Thee.