For 20 years, the GaGa Sisterhood was a national membership organization for enthusiastic, creative, caring women who indulge in the joy of being grandmas. We welcomed grandmas from all over the United States to attend our Zoom meetings every other month. In addition, local in-person meetings were happening at chapters in Silicon Valley, California and Wantage, New Jersey.
The Mission of the GaGa Sisterhood
- Explore both the joys and challenges of being a modern grandma.
- Share wisdom and resources that foster understanding between grandmas and their adult children.
- Inspire grandmas to continue growing along with their children and grandchildren.
I founded the GaGa Sisterhood in 2003 after witnessing the birth of my first grandchild and going completely “gaga!” After I came back down to earth and talked to other grandmas, I realized I was not the first grandma to feel this way. I had lots of questions about my new role and wanted reassurance from other grandmas that all the new feelings I was experiencing were “normal.” I decided to start the GaGa Sisterhood so that we could share our wisdom and experiences with each other.
I invited all the grandmas I knew to my house to start a conversation about what it means to be a modern grandma. On December 7, 2003, fifteen grandmas sat in a circle in my living room. We told stories about what our grandchildren call us and how we got those names, the great lengths we go to see them, how we juggle all our roles to make time for them, and most importantly, how we get along with their parents. There was so much to share we barely scratched the surface. With that first conversation the GaGa Sisterhood was born and we’ve been sharing our wisdom ever since.
Our GaGa Sisterhood grew into a community of kindred sisters who can laugh about the joys and challenges of being a grandma. Originally, the group met every other month in members’ homes throughout the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley California. Our featured speakers have covered every imaginable grandparent topic over the years — all with goal of inspiring us to keep growing along with our children and grandchildren. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, our GaGa Sisterhood pivoted to Zoom meetings and we welcomed grandmas from all over the country and world.
Zoom meetings provided two advantages: we could present quality speakers from all over the U.S. and grandmas could join us from across the U.S., to connect, learn and grow together.
But it became more challenging to juggle two almost disparate groups — our original local Silicon Valley grandmas and our newer on-line community from all over the U.S. Another challenge was the difference in the age of our grandchildren. Lots of our members felt they’d “aged out” because their grandchildren are teenagers and older. Finding speakers and topics that appealed to all ages became more difficult.
On December 7, 2023, the GaGa Sisterhood had its farewell meeting. And while there will be some small, local franchised groups of GaGa Sisterhood groups who will continue to meet in their local neighborhoods, we are no longer continuing GaGa Sisterhood as a national online membership organization.
I’m grateful to have touched the lives of so many grandmas. My life is richer from all the connections I’ve made. Keep growing and learning along with your children and grandchildren.
Thank you for the memories.
Donne Davis,
Founder GaGa Sisterhood
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