If they make you feel like you don't matter....

I can say no, I can say yes, or I can say nothing.
And even if I don't speak, I still say something.

I can be scared, I can be fearless or I can be inbetween.
I can be anything I want becasue it is who I am being.

I can run, I can hide, or I can face things head on.
I have a right as a person and for that I am not wrong.

I have a before, I have a present, I have an after.
I have myself and I know that I matter.

If someone belittles me, it's something I only recognize.
Because if they do it in the first place, it's about their own size.

If someone takes advantage of me, it's something I correct.
If I don't remember my own value, of course they will forget.

I can hold back or I can bear my soul for the world to see.
I can do anything because I trust in me.

I can stay in a corner or I can find the stage.
I can write my own story and flip my own page.

If someone does not like me, I cannot stress their dislike.
I will never be anyone else but myself in this life.

If someone hurts my feelings, I will not hurt theirs back.
Feelings are emotions, they are not meant to attack.

I live my life like you live yours.
I may see windows and you may see doors.

I may see color and you may see black.
We all see differently and there is nothing wrong with that.

See, I matter and if you don't think I do - that's just how you feel.
I live in a world of self value, a place some may not think is real.

I was taght to not be arrogant and some may think this is.
And if you do, take a moment and think about this.

Am I wrong for loving myself, for valuing the person I am today?
If so, when was self worth thrown away?

Because I have self worth, I hope you do too.
And because I value myself, I value you.

People are different and that was by no mistake.
And I was made this way - I am a destined fate.

To anyone and everyone who has been told they do not matter,
Take the first step and climb your own personal ladder.

For it is now what they think of you, it's what you think of you.
And when you think highly of yourself, who cares what they do.

The moment you realize you matter is the moment anyone that thinks you don't is silenced and shattered.
Because at that moment you realize they never really mattered.

If you love The Chicago Bulls... If you love Derrick Rose.

What do you see when you look in the mirror? I hope everything.
See we measure you by who you are - we don't care about a ring.

I know it's most important to you but you are most important to us.
You are the person we cheer for and the person we trust.

Now why God has plagued you with injury - one will never know.
It's like finding the perfect rose and all we want is to see it grow.

Haters can say you're finished, but I'm finished with the haters.
How little they matter - to criticize a player only as spectators.

But we will get there one day, one day we will have it.
As tangible as possible - we will reach and grab it.

We all know you can and we know you will.
People call this a mountain, we call it a small hill.

A set back is the perfect set up for a comeback, and we wait for that special time.
When you come back and say "I'm taking what's mine."

What you give to this city people spend their whole lives trying to give.
Bringing happiness to people and inspiring young kids.

Born and raised in Englewood and look at you now,
At a completely different place but still the same person somehow.

You have made our jaws drop, you have broken each new mold you set,
You have given us game winners that we will never will forget.

You have given your heart to this city - and in return you have stolen the city's heart.
And even with you out, we never feel apart.

You keep us going somehow and you're the one in pain,
We are selfish enough to miss you as you miss the game you love playing.

But that's what separates us - that's why we are your fans.
And we will stick by you because we trust in all God's plans.

As you rehab, I hope you know you have so many people thinking of you.
Fantasizing about your return and the the great things you will do.

You're gonna be great? Man, we already know it.
It took us about just 2 seconds after watching you to show it.

Heal as you need and remember this today:
They can cut into your knee but they can never take your heart away.

We know you will bring us home the ultimate gift, but just know we feel like champions each game we see you play,
So trust in Gods plan for you and it will all make sense one day.

I do hope you can somehow know this and you can push hard and come back healthy and quick, Because Derrick rose is already a champion - all he needs is the ship.

If you need someone to wish you a Merry Christmas

Years ago I began this annual Christmas letter with just a piece of paper and a pen, a 23-year old college graduate now but a 12-year-old little girl back then.

And much has changed and happened, for I have outgrown that little girl, I’ve seen and done and loved and learned, I’ve stepped more into the world.

My first letter was in the early 2000’s, a time before reality TV shows and crazy fast internet connection, a time before GPS and the much loved Iphone invention.

When I wrote my first Christmas letter, I was struggling in math with long division, now as I write this, I am juggling how to fulfill my dreams I envision.

And we are all at different parts in our lives now, not just from each other, but from ourselves, because we all grow up eventually, we never stay twelve.

But wherever you are in your life, I ask you now to embrace that place and be thankful for wherever that may be, whether it is becoming a first time parent, retiring or finally earning that college degree.

Embrace your place and love your life, and be thankful for each day when you lay down each night.

And recognize that just as much as we have changed, certain parts of us will remain unchanged, because a decade may change technology but a heart can never change.

I hope throughout the years my Christmas letters have found way into your heart and maybe even one has even left you smitten, because not one that you have received was not thought of you all when it was written.

This letter I decided against my usual theme, I decided against my annual Christmas advice, I don’t need to tell anyone how to spend their Christmas, it’s their way and that makes it right.

Christmas is not about trying to be something or trying not to be, it has never been about Santa or gifts under the tree.

Christmas is about this letter, about us, about the people we love and hold dear, so I will not tell you how to spend your Christmas this year.

Instead I just extend my love to you all, and I scream it and I shout, Because after all, that is all Christmas is about.

Telling people you love them, showing them how much you care, spending time with your loved ones and being happy you are there.

We never needed snow or giant Christmas trees, and I know you all know that that has never mattered, the only things we have ever needed are each other, love and laughter.

When I was 12 years old my mom suggested I write a Christmas letter and over a decade has passed and it has not failed, right before the holidays you get my letter in the mail.

For years I have written in these letters that presents are not important, but some are, and here it is. If I have given any of you joy, love, or laughter throughout the years, then this present is important to give.

And as much as I wanted to stray away from advice, I have one little thing to note, writing these letters these past years to you all was the best thing I ever wrote.

So however YOU can express your love this Christmas do it, maybe even start your own letter, because when you give your best it always is your better.

I now pass you the pen and the paper, and I encourage you all to find what is inside you and may that be your gift, because Christmas is about what you give and that’s all it ever is.

Times have changed and we each have grown and I am not that little girl I once was, but no passing of time could ever change each letter I sent with love.

So if you toss these aside, or if you keep them in your Christmas card box to save, please know giving you all love throughout these years was the best gift I ever gave.

Christmas is about touching lives, loving people and helping others by offering the love you have in yourself, so I choose to wish the same meaningful Merry Christmas, the same one since I was 12.

If you lost someone you loved...

I am not going to stand up here and say what a great man my grandpa was, for we already know his greatness because he shared it with each of us.

A man of his caliber cannot be given justice in words, and neither can words give justice to the pain in our heart that hurts.

Now to me he was grandpa but to you he may have been something different, but to each its’ own, we all simply will miss him.

And although sadness is unavoidable, we must find happiness in the time, the time we had with him so celebration we can find.

And we have much to celebrate, so let us start his celebration of life, because even though he is absent in body, his soul is alive.

And it is alive in each of us, it is embedded in the stories he told us that we will go on to tell, embedded in the memories we have of him that we have come to know so well.

He lives on through the lives of us, the people here today, so even though he is absent in body, he in our hearts will stay.

And we should all be rest assured that he is now in the company of the divine, telling God the same stories we wish we could hear just one more time.

As people we often overlook the little things, the moments that at the time seem so small, but when we no longer have the luxury of reliving them, we realize how much they mattered after all.

As this is a celebration of life, may those moments be thought of now and embraced, and may they like my grandpa, never be replaced.

As we continue on, we take him with us wherever we are, because absence is irrelevant when it comes to what is in our heart.

We did not lose a person, we simply gained an angel and that is worth celebration, and he would want us to remember him with love and elation.

So wherever we go, we take him with, and every memory we will miss.

As our guardian angel, we embrace his new life up above, and we gathered here today to tell him how much he is loved.

For 88 years my grandpa lived in body but through soul he never dies, living on in his loved ones like my dad who has his eyes.

We cannot be angry with God because he needed him in heaven for reasons of his own, and grandpa is resting in peace, he has finally been called home.

May we not dismiss our grief, but not let it overshadow the luck we had, to be graced with a presence we will miss so very bad.

In the end, he will never be forgotten as long as we remember, and so we celebrate his life in us forever.

Our new angel, look over us, and live inside our heart, so even when we miss you, it’s not because we are apart.

If you need to be empowered...

I have a voice and I speak without permission, I talk for myself, whether or not you listen. I will not be submissive, I will not be silent, I remain strong, I am defiant. I have more than power, I have ability to invest it in others, I spark the power that inequality smothers. I am a firm believer in voice, that's why I speak so loud, I am not limited because there is nothing I am not allowed. I am little in some perspectives, but big in impact, I've gained more than all you claim I lack. I believe in belief, I dwell in things I still have yet to see, believing in all things because all things have possibility. I announce my worth and I know it exists, I am a woman and I have no limits. Within me, I find power and without power, I find sorrow, I speak for yesterday and today and the betterment of tomorrow. I know that what I do leaves trails that will be followed, not to be chewed up and spit out but digested and swallowed. I am not to be brought down, I constantly have a ladder, and often I climb up it when you tell me I don't matter. I know I do, and I know you do too, and as I find power in myself, I instill power in you. If anyone ever tells you "no," remember that doesn't make them right, human nature created difference, which created a privilege to fight. To fight for what we believe in, what we want and what we need, I don't fight for conflict, I fight for you and me. I have a mind, a heart and a brain, I AM someone because I have a name. I will not be shoved aside, I will not lose my voice, I was given my circumstances, but I was also given choice. And today I choose power, today I choose to share it with the world, for the man who lost his job, for the bruises on the arm of the little girl. What good is power if it is not used to power other people as well, that's like having a story but you have no one to tell. I am capable of everything and so I will fight for everyone's right to believe it, because everyone has power and I choose to use mine to help you achieve it. I stand next to you, never better or taller or in front or in back, we are all equal as people and I will forever stand up for that. We all have wings, but sometimes we just don't know how to fly, but with the help of others, we have faith enough to try. So try, so live, so be wild and free, shout your worth, your name, shout it for you and me. Scream for those women who are silenced by fear, for those children who suffer because "I love you" they never hear. Scream for people who have been neglected, for men at war who risk their lives, shout because you can, shout because you are alive! Don't be afraid of your power and don't hesitate to spread it, people find power in your words solely because you said it. Don't be silenced, don't let your light burn out, you have the power to empower, so empower life out loud. The only little thing about empowerment is the time it takes to do it, so use your power for good so that others, too, can use it. You can make a difference, the power within you will be heard, with every action, every choice, with every word. And remember everything you do can help someone else, because it is impossible to not empower others when you empower yourself.

If he has ever hurt you...

He tells her she's nothing, and its that she believes. But she stays with him because she knows what'll happen if she leaves. She'll be alone like he said she would be, "no one will ever love you like me." She thinks that is reason enough to stay but it's her only reason to settle, and it wears her down like acid on metal. She's so beautiful but he never tells her that, instead her calls her ugly and then he calls her fat. He makes her hate herself to assure her that he is the best she can get, and after years of being treated unworthy, her worth she will soon forget. And when he puts his hands on her, he tells her he does it because his feelings are so strong. So she twists it in her mind that it's right if he is wrong. He often loses his temper and he has lost her trust, but he always begs for it back because he says he needs it that much. He doesn't need her trust though, he only needs control, he is filming a movie of her torture and he is playing the main role. He is able to manipulate her because he has trained her as so, she cant hate the only love that he taught her to know. She hates him when be beats her up, she goes to her bed and cries, but then she thinks it love because of the sunglasses for her he goes and buys. He is the problem, he is the solution, he is her enemy and her knight in shining armor. He will do anything to protect her even though he's the one to harm her. She knew she was trapped but the escape was nowhere near, because living without anyone is worse than living with someone in fear. Sure he made her cry, but he was there to wipe the tears away, and with no one else there to tell her she needed bim to tell her it's okay. But it's not okay, its not alright, and she needs to understand, that how much she loves herself is more important than the love of a man. One day she grabbed a suitcase and packed in her room as she cried, she knew she had to leave this time compared to all the past times she had tried. But this time it was different she had a bigger reason to go, and she looked in the mirror and kept repeating "no." She was practicing a word she had never had the courage to speak, and she felt strong all of a sudden after for so long being weak. He was at work while she packed and she was finally done, so many times she had stood in that doorway but was too afraid to run. But this time she knew she was leaving and she choked back her tears, as she stood in the same doorway that she tried walking out for years. She left the sunglasses he bought her on the table because she didn't need them anymore. And she never looked back after she slammed that heavy door. As weeks passed, she became so strong. Just now embracing strength she had all along. She stayed at her mothers and her mother asked what finally made u leave him hunny? I am here for you, you can stay here however long you need, you can borrow any money. She smiled at her mother and knew at that moment what she did was right, and everything was clear like the difference between day and night. She told her mother that she loved her so much for the unconditional love and for never hurting her like he did, and her mother said i could never hurt you, i love you, you are my kid. She told her a mothers love is stronger than any evil force, and it will never go away because it can never go off course. She smiled at her mother and said i love for loving me, and that is why i left because a mom i soon will be. She rubbed her stomach and said mom i'm pregnant, and my baby will never live in the world I did, and he could beat me but he will never touch my kid. She never told him she was pregnant and he will never know, and he can beat himself up now because a punch at her we will never throw. Sometimes it takes something bigger than us to walk away and be strong, something to bring out the strength we learn we had all along.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month so please spread the word. Every voice matters. Including yours.

If you are searching for your worth....

You cannot base your life on earnings; life is worth more than anything you could earn.You cannot base your life on what you think you know; because life can never be learned.
You cannot base your life on "what if's" or "what could be's", you cannot base your life what you eyes choose to see.
Life is bigger than anything we can conceive in our head, and you can only have life when you live, you can't live when you're dead.
So my question I ponder, my question I ask, why do we take advantage of a life that can be taken from us so fast?
Why do we let money consume us, why do we get mad at the little stuff? When did a beautiful life stop being good enough?
We are blinded by flashy things, they distort our eyes, they fill our lives with their promised lies.
We care more about our bank account statements than the statements we make, we no longer pride ourselves on what we give, but more so what we take.
So how do you measure your worth, how do you measure your place on this earth?
Are you measured by your talents, or your lack of, are you worthy because of your ambitions, or none of the above?
Are you defined by how others define you, are you measured by what you can and can't do?
Life is not a race, there is no trophy that gets handed to us if we win, because life doesn't reward 1st or 2nd place, life rewards us from within.
How do we base our lives, how do we base ourselves? are we just people in picture frames that sit on shelves?
Are we famous singers, or average joes, are we people who got to the top by stepping on others toes?
Are we so scared that we won't make it that we forget we will, are we so focused on getting to the top that we never appreciate the climb of the hill?
Life is not measured by anything, but only by what we make it, life is given to us for a reason, so why don't we take it?
Life is not a cake walk, but life is also not be diminished, so do what you say and start what you finish.
Be who you are and be proud, announce your passion and announce in loud.
Don't measure your life on burdens, don't belittle the gift you have everyday, because without life there wouldn't even be burdens for you to say.
If you are tired of feeling upset, be thankful you still are able to feel, because pain is temporary and it reminds us that we are real.
Life is not a puzzle that you have to solve, life is not a lesson that you have to learn, life is not about what you have or what you are gonna earn.
How do you measure a life? I cannot answer that question, no matter how much I write, no matter how much reflection.
Nobody can determine their purpose, because we all have the same worth, we are all meant to be here and we have since birth.
We came into this world to not be measured, but to go beyond measure, we were given something precious, that's why they call life a treasure.
So don't be consumed on making it, on figuring out what you have to do, because your life is worth living, your worth is being you.
you may be piss drunk, pissed off, or piss poor, you may own property, own someone's heart, or just own a store.
You may be sad or you may make other's sad, you may be mad or you may make other's mad.
You may travel the world but never really understand what it means, or you may never leave your town and envision in the world in your dreams.
There is no ruler in life, no, life cannot be defined, because time cannot be tracked if you run out of time.
The beauty in life lies in the unknown, so venture and you will find, that you are not a measurement of a human being because you can never be defined.
That is life, that is all it has to be, will you blinded by distraction or will you see?
We will never know the extent of life until we don't have it, and after we don't, we won't be able to grab it.
So stop worrying about if you will be successful, just trust that you are already are, because if you weren't worth it, you wouldn't have gotten this far.
Ambitions are beautiful, and dreams we should possess, but don't measure yourself against them and deem yourself anything less.
So now, how do you measure your life? By first place ribbons and big wins? Or do you not measure, but appreciate the worth you possess within.
Be bold and be beautiful, be daring and be real, be soft in your words and be open to feel.
Be happy with your life because we only get one, and we will never be able to fully appreciate it until it is done.
You are not a measurement, you are not found on a richter scale, you are not deemed by a success or by a fail.
The problem with rulers is that they all have ends, and as do we, but our measurement still continues even when we leave.
Our lives are entangled in the others we have met, people's memories keep us alive, but rulers, they forget.
Your worth is not measurable, because your worth never ends, it is embedded in the lives of others, your family and your friends.
One day we will not be here, but we will never disapear, because we leave trials in others from when we were here.
It is now I ask you all to celebrate your life and to embrace it and smile, you are worth your life, that is why they say life is worthwhile.