Darling, Never Be Afraid To Share Your Story

For some time now I’ve been trying to find the words to say. I’ve been rummaging through my mind and attempting to get my heart to beat it out. I look for it in the whispers of winds and through the crashing of waves but I find nothing. I could probably search until the ends of the earth, discover Atlantis along the way…and still find no words to describe the pain you must feel. No, I will not address anyone in particular because if you read this you will understand. Understand that you are someone who has been pushed down countless times just to walk it off. That you have had your head stuck under water so that others could watch you drown. You are someone who has been objectified or humiliated for being yourself. Let me emphasize this for you: Someone.

You are a human being, with a heartbeat. That heartbeat pounds louder than any shame or hate that simple-minded dictators could scream. You have lungs. Two of them…and a voice. Let your lungs fill up with all the oxygen you can so that you can let that voice be heard. Let your voice sing high and low, let it cover the world like a protective skin. Let your words fill the ears of every child living in a world of dull and dark days. Let your story touch the hearts of the woman whose identity have been obliterated. Let your advice reach the minds of men who are ashamed to be their own gender. Let your sharp tongue slice the egos of many.

Oh darling, yes I know it’s scary. It’s terrifying! To own up to all that you have been through…to admit to the violation, the prejudice forced down your throat, the appropriation that weighed you down. It’s a hard path to walk; facing your truth and sharing it with the world. It’s a path with sharp rocks ready to cut your spirit and storms to darken your hope.

But you are not alone. There are so many others who walk alongside you. You may not know their name and you may not know theirs. But they have walked before you and they will walk after you. They will walk across a thousand blades to free this world of the shackled injustice. They will take the beatings of a thousand whips to their hearts to make a new era.

Because if we don’t… then what’s to say someone ever will?