Unexpected Hero

I am 44 years old, and I have changed a lot since I was a kid, but the biggest changes I have made were a couple of years back. You are an incredibly special person in my life, and you have made that possible. I don’t mean physical changes; I’m talking about eye opening changes. I have known you since you were born and I don’t know if you know this but, I’ll never forget that day, I went crazy when I heard my niece was born. I started drinking and celebrating without even seeing you. I used to live close to you and I saw you as soon as you got home from the hospital. You were so cute, everyone loved you and you made everyone laugh.

You started growing and we were very close, at one time I moved to another town for years but never stopped visiting. After some years I moved back close to you and started spending some time with you. You were a teenager and I noticed that you started to like drawing like me, I was so happy I felt more connected. We didn’t talk a lot back then, but I noticed you and your brother were starting to like the things I liked. That felt wonderful, then some years later I moved to the next town, and I started seeing your Facebook posts and how you liked all the songs I like and then we started talking more. You and your brother were closer to me than ever.

I remember that you used to come home with your mom, your siblings to stay home. When you stayed, we talked for hours about all kind of controversial topics like death and stuff like that. Then hurricane Maria came, and you had to leave with your mom and sister. I was sad because you know how much I love your mom; she is the world to me, and I was sad about you leaving too but now I know it was for the best. You went studying, worked at different places and your mind expanded so fast and so wide. That’s what I admire about you. That’s when I started seeing you as a woman that can change people for the best.

You are so different, you are not restricted by the patriarchy in we were raised, you went above it and saw it for the manipulation that it was. Now I see your posts and I see a woman sending a message, a message to wake up and shake off stupid traditions. You are a free spirit and go were you heart tells you. But that is not the reason I consider you one of my heroes, the reason is the way you speak up against any kind of oppression, no matter how small it is. There is a saying that goes “Take care of the little things ands the big things will take care of themselves”

I admire the way you have made me change some aspects of my life where I thought it was ok, but no one really showed me how I was affecting others. You stand behind the victim when most stand for the perpetrator. You are not scared of cutting ties with your family if it brings you peace, and you taught me that it is ok to do it. In each post I see you fight against toxic relations, pedophilia, rape etc., while you stand behind the victim and support them. I also see how you support freedom, love and happiness no matter the way it is expressed as long as it is consented. You are a woman and you understand that men are also sensible but society have taught us to suppress our feelings. You have taught me that it is ok to express them. So, for all that you fight against, for all that you support, for everything you have taught me and all the lives I know you have changed, you are my HERO.

Thanks