I Met a Girl

On the 27th Day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I am reminded of A GIRL I MET.

I met a girl, once. The girl I met, was the sweetest girl, you will ever meet. The rumor about the girl, based on her hard exterior, was that she was mean…SHE STOOD UP FOR HERSELF. SHE STOOD UP FOR OTHERS. SHE WAS NEVER AFRAID. Mean, therefore, in my opinion, is subjective.

I met a girl, once. This girl was bullied by other girls, and teased by boys. She was an only child. She had no brothers, nor big sisters, and there were no older male cousins. She was all alone in this big, world, so she had to fight back; and fight back she did…AFTER ALL, WHO WAS GOING TO FIGHT FOR HER? NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL, MAN OR WOMAN, SHE NEVER SHOWED FEAR, AND SHE NEVER FELT INFERIOR.

I knew a girl, once, who had so much love, to give. She was raised by a single mother…MOVING FROM PLACE TO PLACE, THERE WAS NO STABILITY; SHE AND HER MOM, LIVED EVERYWHERE…SO IT SEEMED. Lasting friendships became impossible. This girl went to a different school nearly, every year; her relationships suffered, and she shed many tears. I knew a girl, and the girl I knew, was hurting.

I met a girl, once. The girl I met, was loving, giving, and she was very kind. This girl easily, made friends. Her spirit was a rare find. As she grew into a teen, the boys, loved her. The girls did, too. She was a friend to everyone. You may know her, too. This girl was usually, the teachers pet…oh yeah, she was smart too. Sadly, she was envied, even bullied at times. Many didn’t like her, simply because of the spirit they saw in her. Had they known about the pain this girl carried inside, maybe they wouldn’t have been so unkind. THE FEMALES LOOKED AT OUTWARD APPEARENCES AND HER POSESSIONS…THE MALES SAW THE ATTRIBUTES OF A TEENAGED GIRL. Few knew of the daily battles she faced, simply, due to life’s challenges. No matter how difficult these challenges were, this girl continued to show love and show grace. She simply refused to allow anyone, to steal her joy. She tried to hide the sadness from her face.

The girl I once knew, is now a woman. She has endured an enormous amount of pain, over the years. The trauma she endured, resulting in so many tears. Silent tears from the pain of abuse she received from her childhood, has made her empathetic to those she encounters today. The absent father, the emotionally negligent mother, the childhoood bullying, and molestation, she experienced, left invisible scars.

The woman I see now, no longer resembles the teenager, turned young woman, I used to see. Absent is the teenaged girl, who was forced into adulthood, and became a young, wife, mother, and divorcee’, all by the age of twenty-five. Gone is the young, mother and wife, who endured mental, physical, financial and emotional abuse; including, being raped at gunpoint. I dont see the girl who was lied on, mistreated, talked about, and defeated.

I recently, met a WOMAN. She is a woman with Purpose. She took the broken pieces, abuse, hurt, ill treatment, misused love, various forms of Domestic Violence, heartbreaks, heartaches, financial abuse, losses, ill treatment, abandonment, betrayals, rape, and every experience, that diminished who she was, and used them to make her stronger.

I see a woman who is stronger than before. This woman shines brighter than before. I know a woman who has taken her power back. Recently, I met a woman, and the love she has for others is stronger than before. A glimpse of her former self; the girl, the teen and young woman remain. Yes, the sparkle in her eye, that smile, and a heart filled with love, will forever remain. The woman I know today, however, is stronger, and has allowed God to turn her pain into Purpose.

As I look in the mirror, that girl I met, that teenager I saw, and that young woman I remember…

I AM HER. THEY WERE ME.

Have you ever Met a Girl, or even a Boy?

Are you them, are they you?

Let’s talk about it!

Dani 💋❤️

Turning the Pain into My Prayerful Purpose

Mind, Body, Spirit

Mental Health Matters!!!

Defy the Stigma!