A belated contribution to her project:
- Because all people are beautiful.
- Because being dark brown doesn’t stop me from wearing red lipstick, and because it shouldn’t stop anyone else who wants to.
- Because the lack of representation of my skin color in cartoons, movies, and fancy fashion shows doesn’t mean I’m any less beautiful than those who are present.
- Because I remember how I never used to wear gray because I had never seen a brown girl do so, and how some TV head told me that brown and gray didn’t match. Because one day, my fashion-savvy husband bought me a wonderful gray dress, and a gorgeous little dark-skinned girl said I looked like a princess even though we weren’t allowed to wear that color. Because my husband looked at her and said she and I were beautiful enough to wear any color we pleased, forever and ever. Because I cried in the middle of that Panera. Of course, she could wear whatever she wanted. Of course I could. We’re people. We’re girls. We’re beautiful.
A reminder, for myself more than anyone:
- Because every voice counts.
- Because even strong people, with strong statements and strong platforms and programs, need a shoulder to cry on, too.
- Because we need to take care of each other more often.
- Because we need to ask if everything is okay more often.
- Because we need to do more for mental care, whenever and wherever we can.
- Because I’m angry! At suicide, at the stigma we place on depression and other illnesses, at the difficulty of getting proper care, at hurtful comments about appearance, and at the general lack of interest in the value of self-love.
- Because I need to remember that every bit of caring and hope makes a difference, even if it seems senseless, redundant, or unnecessary.
Comments closed, my friends:
- Because this one was just for me.
