“Want me to do something….Tell me I cant” -Maya Angelou

To the man who told me I would never be anything,

I spent years of my life trying to prove to you that I was good enough, I could do it, I wasn’t going to give up, but one day I decided the best thing to do was give up on you. Spending 30 hours a week in the gym being told “you should ride the short bus” “Are you stupid” ‘You will never be anything” and coming home with hand print bruises on my leg was what I thought to be normal. Being yelled and screamed at on a daily basis for showing any emotion or doing anything that you thought was wrong. Mental and physical abuse at 8 years old was something I never dreamed of or wanted to talk about. At 8 years old this was unacceptable but to me, I knew nothing else. I saw him doing this to other girls my age, so I never said a thing.

Looking back now, you are by far one of my least favorite people but also my biggest motivation, to prove you wrong! I will be something in life. I will accomplish my biggest dreams just so you can see me succeed in a way you never thought I would.

Thank you for teaching me that because someone tells me I cant, I will. Teaching me to turn that can’t into can. Thank you for dragging me through the mud, only to defy you and learn just how strong I am. For teaching me that its ok to express myself and show emotion. Thank you for helping me become the women I’m so proud to be today, even if it came out of the nightmare that is you.

Sincerely,

A much stronger women