Because She fought back 

Because She was brave

Beacause She endured

Because She was not a victim

Because She refused to stay silent

Because there were countless others like her who needed a voice

Because it wasn’t only happening to girls and women

Because men and boys were enduring this as well 

Because they were no longer victims but survivors 

Because justice needed to be served 

Because no one asks to be abused or raped

Because your jeans are not a sign of consent

Because of Melissa. My college roommate 

Because of the awareness and the stigma 

Because Brock Turner only served 3 months

Because the healing can finally begin for each person one day at a time

Because it is not their fault

Because it is not about sex but power

Because it has to end and we are the only ones who can help make it

Because knowledge is power and your best defense is to outsmart someone

Because enough is enough

Because I stand and support all survivors of sexual violence

Because out of something very bad, can come something “good”

http://denimdayinfo.org/

     I’m pretty sure Oprah coined the phrase “joy rising”. I remember hearing it and thinking “yes!! I like that! I UNDERSTAND that! I feel the joy rising in me!” It’s a great phrase that helps explain a very pure emotion. That for when happiness starts to fill you up to a level where you can feel it coming to a fever pitch. 

     What exactly gives you joy rising? For me? Baby kisses. I love nothing more than getting down on the floor with one of my friend’s little ones and smooching the ever loving heck out of them. And when they start smooching back?? FORGET IT! #JOYRISING 

   Or brownies from “The Bagelry” in town (especially if the very cute & friendly gentleman selling them to me raves about how especially delicious they are that day)…I’m a sucker for some good brownies & these ones are THE BEST!! #joyrising 

   But honestly, my favorite thing?? The morning birds. I love those birds that come with the springtime. They chirp and “sing sweet songs of melodies pure and true”. There is something almost Shakespearean in a way about them… “a winged messenger from heaven”. They come and visit, deliver their beautiful songs and then leave with nothing but the soft sounds of morning and the freshness of a new day. Yes, that to me, is cause for #JoyRising 

    So what does it for you?? Rather than focus on how stressed you feel, or how hectic life can be, take a minute, (or five) and find three things that give you joy rising. It’ll be the best 5 minutes of your week. Because if you can’t find joy in baby kisses, brownies and birds, then what “GOOD” is having “GOOD STUFF”?? 

** For Alex : 

     There is something to be said for friends who have your back. But friends who would literally CARRY you on their back? That’s a whole different ball game. 
     My friend Emily is that person. She would give you the shirt off her back and then carry you on it. I know this because she did just that over this past weekend. I went to go visit her in Washington D.C. after we had been planning on having a girl’s weekend for over two years to go see the cherry blossoms & do touristy stuff. It all started in December of 2014 when Em came home to her Aunt’s house to work on her thesis for her doctoral dissertation and we met up to have lunch as I live in the same general area as her aunt in Upstate New York.

      I ended up having some unexpected heart surgery not long after that and we decided that we were both in need of a vacation when we had completed our “recovery” from both events. So after staying in close touch (Em & I went to high school together & grew up a couple streets away from each other), we finally made a plan to “cherry blossom it” at the end of March this year. I was finally relatively healthy, she was finally “Dr. Peca”, & in between trips to Africa so we were set to go. 

    So I got there & we started our journey. It was so much fun. But clearly, my body is still not quite AS strong as I might like to think because after walking approximately 4 miles to the Lincoln Memorial from her apartment in reasonably cold, damp weather, I had a mini physical meltdown and started to kinda fall apart. I tried REALLY hard to pull it together but there was no hiding it. I was failing (& miserably), so we taxi’d it home for some rest time, & as we entered Em’s building the thought of walking up the three flights of stairs to her apartment was almost too much to bear, but I sure wasn’t going to say that. So Emily asked me how much I weighed. Not even realizing why she was asking the question, I replied with my answer and she just dutifully nodded her head and said, “Ok, hop on. My trainer is gonna love this when I tell him!” I honestly didn’t think she was serious until she leaned forward and slapped her back. I said “no” at first but realized there was no arguing with her so I just hopped on and up the stairs we went. It was truly one of the most SELFLESS things anyone has ever done for me. But, because she’s Em, she outdid herself & when I lost my wallet later that day, she paid for the rest of my weekend there. Just because she’s that kind of friend. She’s got your back. 

   When you find that kind of person, hold on to them tight. Don’t let go. Cherish them, & know that what you have is a VERY, VERY GOOD FRIEND & it’s a VERY, VERY GOOD THING!!