Dear Ellen Ripley...
Dear Ellen Ripley,
I have witnessed the trials in which you have survived, the horrors that you’ve seen, and the natural evil you continue to face. When I was born a child I was introduced to your valor, and then inspired me to be strong like you. I may not be facing aliens, or facing the hardships that come with space travel, but the challenges I do face are easier with your guidance. You taught me that survival is key, and sometimes that means dealing with or cutting out people in your life. Toxicity cannot exist if you’re looking for serenity. You search for the greener side of the valley, and so do I. This mentality has helped me through many trifles, though it isn’t bulletproof because it can also cause distance between those you would otherwise like to create a connection with. Survival is about the self, compassion is about others, and I’m still learning to incorporate both, like you do. If facing a Xenomorph, I would only try to protect my small circle of loved ones, and that simply isn’t enough if I want the world to change by sight alone. A couple of crewmembers that you never got along with were your last resort when fighting the single Xenomorph. You didn’t know those Marines, and in fact some of them insulted you, but you dove straight first into danger to get them out of a hazardous situation. Those prisoners did so much wrong that they needed to be on an isolated planet for their prison term, and you fought alongside them despite them trying to harm you directly. You brought them up higher than they could ever stand so that you could all bind together and defeat the single predatory alien. Then, once resurrected, forever biologically changed, you still hold onto the core of what makes you you. That crew owes you their lives, and the hybrid Xenomorph in which the queen birthed held your heart and his hands because you have that much love to give. And its demise, I saw the torment in your eyes, which told me that despite appearances, a connection is something you feel in your heart, something you cherish to no end. You also taught me that friends can be found in the most unlikely of places, so I might as well keep my eyes open for the signs of a genuinely good person. Your story is an inspiration to me, he gives me hope that I too can be a strong person with a big heart. No matter where I go, no matter what I do in life, this lesson will always be with me. Your story will always be one that I treasure. And down the line I want my children to feel the same way, I want them to learn what I have learned from you and become an even better person than I ever could. I want to have a baby Ripley, I want to raise a strong, independent and compassionate individual. I want my husband to share the same values, so we can all be a family of Ripleys. The negativity in the world sometimes clouds my judgment and I forget that there is so much positivity to be had in it as well. I will find it one day as long as I hold true to the teachings of Ellen Ripley, her story and her values. For there’s no such thing as no hope for this world until it is dead, and before that day is here I will continue to fight for the good, the caring and the mighty.
