Class 5ish.

Prompt:
Oaths.

So, what do I think an oath is? I've been trying to think of something creative or witty to write for this blog prompt for a few days. Still drawing a blank. Frankly, I've never thought much about oaths, even though I've been living by one since kindergarten.

On my honor,
I will try,
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout law.

I didn't think much of it then. Mainly because I was 5 years old and the word "oath" probably wasn't even in my vocabulary yet. But I really was just there to be with my friends, do arts and crafts, earn badges, play with puppies once a week, and sell as many cookies as possible. I think that's what some people think about greek life. Not the selling cookies part, but maybe the, "I only joined to be with my friends," part. And that is a huge bummer for those of us who take greek life so much farther. Because the oath that we each take isn't just about friendship, arts and crafts, and playing with puppies. It's about leadership, philanthropy, sisterhood, brotherhood, service, academics, cultural diversity... the list goes on.

And our oath is for LIFE. It's forever. It's past college, past marriage, past your first kid. When I'm 52 I'll still be in a sorority, no matter how actively I participate in my specific chapter. And I'll still be proud of the choice that I made to take that oath, and I'll still be upholding the standards expected of me now by myself and my sisters. Some people we met at the conference this weekend were OLD and still actively a part of their organizations. And to me, that is so amazing. What is greater than eternal brotherhood or sisterhood?

I don't know the Girl Scout law anymore. In fact, I'm not sure I ever did. But I still try to help people at all times. I still try to serve God and my country. And that's what an oath is. Beyond the words, beyond the symbols, beyond the people you bonded with, an oath is something that should be so ingrained into your soul that you live by it until the day you die, even after you've forgotten the taking oath completely.