The Value of Nothing

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I saw this symbol making it’s way around social media with the hashtag “me too” and had so many thoughts and feelings towards it. I hope that you see and hear this and interpret a call to continue to raise your own standard of awareness and vigilant care for the women around you. It’s true, women are really good at banding together, but don’t let us do it alone. Band together with us.

We don’t live in a vaccuum. Let’s not quibble over “women’s issues” and “men’s issues” being separate. It’s not. Everything that effects me, effects you. And everything that effects you, effects me. I need you and you need me. It’s just that simple.

There was a time I sat in a meeting where I heard brothers rationalize the actions of an individual against a few of our sisters. Through that, I learned two things in disbelief:

1. Even as Father’s and Brother’s you weren’t able to see other women as valuable enough to stand up for them INSTANTLY. It had to be discussed first.

2. When I spoke to the women affected, each one said some version of, “Oh, it was nothing”. What I heard and what they were teaching themselves was: I AM NOTHING.

Both realizations broke my heart because it was familiar. We teach people how to treat us. Consequences teach people how to treat us. So does Silence.

All that said, have some amazing men and women in my life who have stood up for me and taught me so much about my value. In turn, I hope that has also taught them much about their own value.

I AM STRONG, but I am STRONGER WITH YOU. YOU ARE STRONG, and STRONGER WITH ME.

I AM NOT NOTHING AND NEITHER ARE YOU.

We are each VALUABLE.

LET’S TEACH EACH OTHER THAT.

In prayer this morning that the ME TOO attached to this symbol would someday be interpreted as “SOMEONE STOOD UP AND VALUED and PROTECTED ME TOO”.