As journalists we understand the importance of documenting  the human condition. As women we feel it just as more important to share  the experiences that unite us as a gender.

Yes, we’ve come a long way, but we still have further to go.  Discrimination and sexual assault continue and we must not only come to  terms with it but also stop it. Through the love of family and friends,  and through the lessons of those who have come before us, we live  through the trials and progress in an understanding that we are  valuable. As a sisterhood, we clasp hands, hold on to one another and  lift each other up in life.

The four of us are of different ages, come from different  races and backgrounds, and have different political and religious views.  Our perspectives may be different, but our individual stories resonate  with each other. Collectively they encompass the experiences and  emotions of womanhood — the obsession of teenage crushes, complicated  and loving relationships with men, finding independence, handling  tragedy and realizing personal growth.

These stories explore our pain and sorrow, and delight in our joy and sense of humor. These stories are for women.