Life always has a way of dragging us in different directions, but it’s so important that we take whatever pockets of time we’re given to give our loved one’s flowers while they are here. Meet my sister’s Valerie June and Kayla Sanders. We’re a trio of small-town girls from West Tennessee who lead busy lives in three different cities. I work fulltime as a marketing manager and lifestyle blogger. My sister Valerie is a well-known singer, and Kayla is a medical device rep! We’re busy, to say the least. When time permitted, we gave in to 48 hours of love and laughs with each other. We made our way to East, Tennessee to a quaint, yet lovely resort called Blackberry Farms to create fond memories. As we drove through the colorful canvas made up of fall trees, we were immediately set into a calming trance that would prepare us for the serene setting. As soon as you arrive in Walland, TN, cell phone services start to stream away. So if you’re wondering, there’s no calling out unless you’re on wi-fi and there is nothing wrong a little disconnecting for a sister-trip.
Sisterhood is one of the most interesting relationships that I’ve ever experienced. I feel lucky to be taught love and life lessons through it. There are triumphs and there are trials where only time and growth can heal it. It’s the purest form of a womanly bond that one can ever experience. You’re born together, but you don’t have to stay together. You simply put in the effort to do so. The term sisterhood is conveyed so vastly and vaguely amongst all women, but when you are blessed with a real sister, it’s rooted in ancestral sentiments and present-day phenomenons. My grandmother was one of five sisters. My mom was one of two sisters. The lineage of taught lessons amongst all of these women has been passed down to us. It’s a beautiful thing that I don’t think I even thought of until writing this blog. The sisterhood shared amongst my grandmother and her sisters birthed generations of women. Because of them, I’m so close to many of my girl cousins.
Fights are real. Sisterly struggles are real, but when you are sisters, you choose each other over and over again. You have too. It’s like a friendship bond that is coated in the richest gold the world has ever seen. Sisterhood effects so much. So if you’ve got a real sister, share true life with her. Encourage her. Teach her, sometimes through tough love, how to be a better person, a better friend, a better sister. It’s important.
BONDING TIME WITH MY SISTERS:
Our father loved music! We grew up with music all around us through him promoting shows or all five of my siblings making up songs as we went throughout the house. Valerie and I were upstairs talking about the books she’d been reading when she mentioned she was reading Booker T’s new book Time is Tight. She played his song “Green Onion,” and then we both ran in the next rooms to Kayla’s suite in the Blackberry Farm’s Farmhouse, and jumped on the bed to dance to the catchy jingle. The funny thing is that my sister dances like my dad. Her daughter dances like him too. I’m grateful that we have each other to remind each other of his presence. Watch the video below to see more.
BLACKBERRY FARMS GROUNDS:
Whether you wake up early to watch the sunrise or venture out on the farm to catch the sunset, you’ve experienced a supernatural moment that you’ll never be able to forget. When I think of sisterhood, I think of the most pivotal moments that make it a “hood” anyhow. We knew we’d only be at Blackberry farms for a short period of time so we made use of every second of the day starting with Yoga at the beautiful spa. Then, massages. Then, exploring the grounds on our house’s golf cart. Yes, each house gets two golf carts. Lexus also drives around at your beckoning call to esc. The hospitality at Blackberry Farms is incredible.
GOLFCART ADVENTURES:
ACCOMODATIONS:
WINE CELLAR:
CULINARY EXPERIENCE:
HORSEBACK RIDING:
VAL’S PERFORMANCE AT FASHION ON THE FARM: