My friend Thiago titled this piece, “Purple”
“So, keeping in mind the time of year, I think it’s high time I write something as sort of a thank you. To You, women. The ones who raised me, and loved me, and shaped the man I am today. I was blessed to have been raised by a strong woman, and found myself in an environment ruled by the gentler sex. In my family, my generation has 8 cousins. Only 2 out of those are men, including me. So having always been surrounded by women, and STRONG, LOUD, ASSERTIVE women at that, I’ve learned to respect You as a whole. As we come to this month, we remember women who didn’t have the chance to live their fullest, or are still being held back by the abuse of the small-minded individuals plaguing society. This month, I honor women who were and are friends, family, and partners to me. The strength of a woman was what got me through depression, heartbreak, death, self-doubt, and (most importantly hehehe) puberty. Women like my mother, my friend Smurf, Cherry and Corine are but some of the women whose lives have inspired me, and hold my admiration and love. And I continue to meet more and more who have overcome adversities, or are fighting such, with pride and dignity of such a caliber that can only be associated with a woman’s struggle.
Taking from all these women have taught me during my life, I ask for all of You to remember…
Regret nothing. Everything that has happened, good or bad, has only led you to be the person you are today. To regret is to deny oneself everything one is. Take all the good things and turn them into the shield you carry to survive. Take all the bad things and turn them into the sword you carry to prevail.
Remember that commitment is not a limitation. You are not bound to any man, by either a signature on paper or those three lovely words. Spread your love and wisdom as you see fit. Men are jealous animals, yes… but we ought to learn how to let the beauty we so adore be shown to all. What I mean is, don’t be afraid to look a friend in the eye, and tell them how much you love them. If anything, it should only give your man more happiness that at the end of the day, HE’S the one whose lips you kiss.
There are good men out there. True knights in shining armor. You are NOT stuck choosing between the lesser of two evils when it comes to love. If a man can’t treat you right in all respects, he is no man worth standing beside. The Gentleman isn’t dead. He’s just been hiding a bit, so it makes it that much sweeter when you find him.
Woman, you are the back bone of society. You are the heart of the lion. You are the elegance of life.”
