Waking Up
The alarm goes off, my cat starts meowing, and I open my eyes to a Wednesday morning.
Usually I wake up by doing my bad habit of checking work emails or catch up on theSkimm, but that day felt different. It was different. I woke up feeling a mix of emotions I didn't expect to feel right when I woke up.
I grab my phone and go straight to search – nothing has changed from when I last checked… another man takes the White House – one labeled a misogynist while we're at it. I can go into my political views in this post, but I won't. Mainly because I am plain tired and I don't care to bicker with anyone. I won't go into my views of how this man neglects climate change, minorities, LGBTQ, immigrants, but I will say this:
We started So She Slays to empower women and girls everywhere. I feel we started this project to not just be a voice for your beautiful souls, but to empower and start believing in ourselves. This election not only showed how our nation is divided but how we still have to fight to break that glass ceiling that I thought we were moving closer in disrupting. What makes me sad is how one man can bring out the ugly and hate in people – men and women alike. How can we break this glass ceiling if we've been put in this glass box and given only a feather to break it? How do we have female CEO's, HBICs, overall badass chicks and we're still not taken seriously? How can the new head of our nation belittle and take advantage of women and supporters just turn the other cheek? So many questions wrapped my mind that I started to feel… hopeless.
But that is where I stopped my dark winding hole of hopelessness and you should too. We are not hopeless. If anything, we have been given kindle to ignite our flame. A faster beat to drum to. A new card hand to deal with. A time to strategize and make our mark. With this fiery passion, I opened my eyes and stopped dwelling on the bad and focused on the hopeful. Well my friends, we DID make history with these badass women and should not forget how many leaps we've made together to make history.
Tammy Duckworth: a two-time congress woman and Iraqi war -veteran- of Thai and Chinese descent.
Kate Brown: the first openly LGBTQ governor -ever- elected in the U.S.
Kamala Harris: the -only- Black woman currently in the U.S. Senate.
Catherine Cortez Masto: the first Latina to -ever- serve in the U.S. Senate.
Pramila Jayapal: the first Indian-American woman -ever- elected to Congress.
Ilhan Omar: the nation's -first- Somali-American female legislator.
There is always a shed of light in darkness. There will always be someone trying to instill fear in another, no matter the reasoning. The only way to conquer fear is with peace, mindfulness, and love. "The children are awake now" said my friend. There is no hiding the ugly from our kids. We must continue to raise them the best we can. The world can be cruel and ugly, but the future depends on us as parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends to teach our youth to love harder and find the beauty in this world. If you are feeling disappointed or depressed for what our future holds for our girls, tell them this:
"And to all of the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams."
– Hillary Clinton
Please keep your fires burning ladies. I believe in all of you. Don't let this election make you feel hopeless. This man should not create a speckle of doubt in you. Cause if you start to feel down and question your skills, beauty, mind, and purpose as a female, then this world will be a dark and dreary place. Thank him for making our fires brighter and stronger, with your bright light, you will spark change.
Be Well,
KH