“We connect and empower women 50+ through stories,� says Mahani Zubedy. The organization she founded, StorySistas, is a group of women who regularly gather together to share stories from their lives.
“I think what’s special about StorySistas is that we are all there to support,� Zubedy says. “It’s about sharing and connecting� we’ve been doing this for five years, and I can say every story connects on some level with everyone. Because we’ve had the same history � fifty years, we’ve all shared the same history.�
The next meeting of the group will celebrate International Women’s Day. They’ll meet up a couple days early, on March 6, to share stories around a unifying theme. “This time around, we are exploring women aging positively and powerfully,â€� Zubedy says. “Aging â€� everyone’s doing it. At the same time, for all of us, it’s a new frontier. We’ve not been there. We »å´Ç²Ô’t know what it’s like. We have ideas, we have some examples. We have some examples of how we »å´Ç²Ô’t want to age, [but] we need more positive and powerful examples.â€�
In pre-Covid times, the women of StorySistas would meet in person, but that’s not how things are done anymore. “Of course it’s going to be through Zoom,� Zubedy says of the March 6 gathering. One benefit of the Zoomification of the event is that their International Women’s Day celebration will truly be international.
“Women from Austin, Washington, Minneapolis, New York, London, and Malaysia [will participate],� Zubedy says. “So the lady in London, it’ll be 6 PM her time, and the storyteller from Malaysia is going to wake up at 2 AM to tell the story, so I am so excited.�
Dede Hurson found StorySistas when she was looking for things to keep her occupied in retirement. “About two years ago, I went to my first StorySistas meeting and had my very nervous debut,� she says with a laugh. She’s looking at the silver lining in a virtual version of the usual gathering. “One factor is taken out � you’re not standing in front of a group of people.�
Hurson will be one of the local Austin storytellers taking part in the International Women’s Day celebration, and Ramona Wilson will be another. “I’ve always told stories, even as a little girl,� Wilson says. “So I love StorySistas.�
“Feeling that connection, it’s empowering,� Zubedy says. “It really feels great.�
