When Loss Brings Gain

Thank you to Vanessa Maddox, Founder of TheGirlfriendGroup for sharing how the loss of her beloved sister turned into something that she never imagined. The memory of her sister is still alive through the wonderful women in TheGirlFriendGroup, be sure to check in with them...here is her inspirational story....

On June 12, 2009 I experienced a tremendous loss.

My eldest sister Valerie passed away suddenly. I realize that people lose relatives everyday, but the difference here is that we didn’t know Val was sick. We later found out that she passed away from heart disease exacerbated by her asthma.

Val was a teacher of children. She taught for 33 years and loved every minute of it. She was also a single parent to a child with multiple learning disabilities. She raised her daughter, my niece to age 30. Her girlfriends were a huge part of that. They were her friends, her support system, her counselors and her confidantes.

Growing up with Val as an older sister was great. She taught me a lot. A lot about life, a lot about friends, a lot about being a thoughtful, caring person. She taught me a lot of the importance of Girlfriends in a woman’s life.

That brings us to the gain.

After my two-month depression, I called my cousin Naomi and told her I wanted to pay tribute to Val in some way. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but God brought it to me on August 22, 2009. TheGirlfriendGroup.

TheGirlfriendGroup is a global, online community for women. Our focus is the total woman from all walks of life. We host events, we mentor young women, we hold networking opportunities and we will be launching The Girlfriend Education Series in Q1 of 2011. There are no barriers to entry. The only requirement is that you’re a woman that is willing to network with other women, share information and encourage one another. Network. Share. Encourage is our motto.

The group was started on my family room sectional for less than $100. Less than a year later we went from the original 15 members to over 235 members; all organic growth, no budget, no fancy social media strategy. Just inspiration and determination. If you look for the good in everything and are open to taking new paths that may appear, anything in life is possible.

The most wonderful part of TGG is that Val’s influence and spirit exists in every facet of the group. The TTG is very much dedicated to the many other strong women in my life such as my mom, sisters and Girlfriends. It is their love and support that continue to give me the inspiration and motivation that makes TGG so fabulous!