#DearMe

In honor of #InternationalWomensDay I've decided to write a letter to my younger self.

#DearMe :

YOU ARE NOT UGLY! God made us all unique in our own way. You have dark skin and kinky hair that has to be pressed with a hot comb, or chemicals have to be used to make it straight...but that doesn't make you any less than girls with naturally long, beautiful hair hanging down her back. Every woman has something about her that makes her beautiful. Find what makes YOU beautiful, hold your head up, and embrace it.

Never let ANYBODY make you feel bad because you're YOU. You are quiet, shy, and withdrawn...some people consider you weird or stuck up, but later in life, you'll find it's best not to follow the crowd and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being yourself...with creating your own path, being your own leader instead of being a follower...just to say you have friends. Later in life, you'll find that people use the word FRIEND lightly...but very few people are worthy to be called the word.

It's okay to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. You'll make many of them in your lifetime, but you can only pray about it, and keep moving forward.  

You were raised to treat people as you'd want to be treated...with kindness & respect. Unfortunately, some people out there look at a person like you, and see you as a meal ticket. They can and WILL use your kindness for weakness. You can't be TOO nice, and I know it sounds crazy...but just keep your eyes open and pay attention. A person who means you no good, will make it known. You have to know when to walk away and say NO sometimes, even if it means someone being mad at you. Anybody who gets mad at you for not allowing them to use you, isn't meant to be in your life anyway.

Lastly, YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE LOVED AND BE HAPPY! You will come into contact with men who will try to make you feel less than, beneath them, as if you're not good enough. This will cause you to develop a low self-esteem about yourself. You'll walk through life, feeling as if you HAVE to take whatever is being thrown at you. THIS IS A LIE. You DO NOT have to stand by and allow anybody to make you feel as if you're not good enough. YOU ARE! You're just as pretty, just as smart, and just as able to find a man who will love you, and treat you like the queen that you are, as the next woman. When you love someone, you love hard and with everything in you, which is a good thing...except, it will cause you to give more chances to some men than they deserve...this only hurts YOU in the end, because as long as you allow a no good man to use you, he will do it. Know that you don't have to put up with that, and that the men who drag you through the mud, talk down to and about you, lie & cheat on you, are insecure within themselves and they need a woman like you- one who has allowed the negative opinions of others to make her feel bad about herself- to make them feel better about themselves. YOU DESERVE BETTER and you can get better...you just have to know when to walk away, and never feel bad about kicking his ass straight to the curb with the rest of the garbage, where he belongs. 

You may not have much, but you have a good heart, a beautiful smile, and a kind soul...as long as you keep a positive attitude, you'll be able to handle just about anything life throws at you. Stop doubting yourself so much. You can do anything you tell yourself you want to. 

One last thing...mother really does know best, although it won't always seem like it. 

Love, 

Your future self