The Mah Jong Ladies of Lake Charles

Amidst the feral beauty of the bayou, a sisterhood gathers. When the glamour of youth, the expectations of motherhood, and the demands of careers fade-it is the foreign landscape of 'after' that women are left to navigate.

Feral beauty. The two best words I can use to describe the bayous, those labyrinths of waterways covering the breadth of Louisiana. Gently moving black water hides a torrent of activity below its surface, camouflaging its true depth. Thousand-year-old cypress trees, a living symbol of resilience and adaptability, carry wisdom difficult to fathom. Those cypress guardians, the very bedrock of the swamp and its inhabitants, understand its role in the intricate web of this delicate and brutal ecosystem.

We fear what we do not understand. And for those first explorers encountering this foreign landscape, the front-line army of snarling alligators, stinging insects, and hissing snakes served as a clear repellent. What many missed was what that army was protecting—a refuge older than time. Grasses frame sunset masterpieces, assemblages of birds of every color and size adorn the sky and branches, and an orchestra of sounds narrate the day until yielding to a forlorn lullaby when the moonlight shimmers across the water’s surface.

Wild, free, and utterly unafraid of its true self.

Amidst this backdrop, in the town of Lake Charles, Louisiana, a group of ladies come together weekly. Real ladies never tell their age but suffice it to say that these particular ladies carry the confidence of navigating family, career, and retirement. The reason behind this weekly gathering? Mah Jong is the easy answer. To connect socially is an equally correct answer. A conscious break from the male species is yet another. But take time to study what lies beneath the surface, and you will find the true purpose is to cultivate and support the sisterhood.

As a member of a different generation, it is all too clear that society often omits the experiences and value of a woman once a certain age is surpassed. The glamour of youth, the expectations of motherhood, and the demands of careers are covered extensively in our culture; outlined, researched, and dramatized almost to a fault. But after those life milestones? It is the after, the period of time when youth has submitted to maturity, progeny scatter to the wind, and careers wind down that is left to one’s imagination. Movies and books no longer carry these life stories, no longer tout guides to navigate this foreign landscape.

Women will always find a way. They will create and build their own support systems, a sisterhood. A collection of wisdom and gaiety from women unafraid to be their true selves. Independent, comfortable in their own skin, and adept at knowing when to bring laughter, a listening ear, or dinner. Competitive, yes. Frail, never.

Life throws curve balls, true. It also sends you to places unknown, not too dissimilar to those first explorers. But with a sisterhood in the boat with you, you learn to navigate the maze of twists and turns and rising tides.

The feral beauty surrounds you. Envelopes you in its arms.

And you become part of it.