***TRIGGER WARNING***
I share this to empower & give hope to some of you who may still be stuck in any of these shadows. I feel it is my duty to share my story to help others. I know it is. Just know that I am here & I understand.
This is a woman of strength, bravery & courage & extreme vulnerability. This is a woman who was always told to be afraid of her body. This is a woman who was told if she loved her body she was full of herself...if she posted pics without covering up she was labeled a ‘slut’. This is a woman who was harassed throughout her high school years being called ‘fat’, ‘ugly’ and made fun of for her ‘afro’. So much so that she had to switch schools, only to be harassed again. They made fun of her in college claiming she looked like a Barbie doll. (this one always perplexed me?) This is a woman whom women always envied & men always desired. A woman who has been sexually abused at a young age & raped in her teens, taking away her virginity...but due to her looks and the way she chose to dress she was labeled ‘permiscuous’ & was assumed she ‘asked for it’. (I assure you, I never asked for it.) This is a woman who battled an eating disorder as a teenager & into her 20s. She’s also battled body dysmorphia almost her entire life. A woman who dabbled in hard core drugs throughout her party years only to stop cold-turkey when she decided to love & respect herself more. This is a woman who has lost more people she loves than her age from death. A woman who’s been told she a ‘bad mom’ due to setting boundaries & having dietary restrictions for her child. This is a woman who had been through two extremely abusive relationships but no one wanted to believe her. If it’s unseen I guess, to many, it’s hard to believe. A woman who was told to keep her mouth shut for way too long.
This is a woman who has always seen beauty in everything & everyone else but had to fight HARD to see it in herself. This woman knows struggle, pain, strength, perseverance & freedom. She has dealt with criticism from not only others but herself almost her entire life.
This woman has broken free of all of her past hurts...she has broken free of the belief of others’ perceptions of who she is due to both her inner & outer confidence she has worked so hard to achieve. This is a woman who is no longer afraid. This is a woman whom no one can break.
So the next time any of you want to label ANYONE...get to know their story 1st. I am a human being, a loyal woman & one tough cookie. My spirit has been broken MANY times but they could never take my soul & they could never ruin my strength. I always find my way to the light & with more feathers added to my wings each time I do.
This is how I heal. This is how I have healed myself & this is how I heal others. I am here to give comfort, listen, exchange stories & be whatever you may need me to be for you.
The time is now. SHARE YOUR STORY! SPEAK YOUR TRUTH! Break free of societal conditioning. Don’t be afraid! Stand up for yourself & what you believe in, ESPECIALLY if it is yourself. I am not only a voice for myself, but a voice for my daughter & others.
This is one of my favorite images of myself ever taken. It signifies beauty, strength, courage & bravery. I’m so glad I was given all of the challenges in my life to stand strong in my body, my story & my being. 💫
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