"I know you put the hood on yo back & you wanna impress everybody, but..."

Written & Read by Dear Black Woman Lawrielle

Meet Lawrielle as she reads this affirmation. ❤

“I know you put the hood on yo back and you wanna impress everybody and make everybody proud, but it’s okay to put things on pause if you need to. Self care is important.”

— Lawrielle

Baby girl,

There is so much I wanna tell you.

First off, I love you so much. Every day I am so proud of who you are, how aware of yourself you are, and the change you’re making in your life and others. You are so strong and confident and motherfucking brick house. Also you are fragile, you are sensitive, you are very much in touch with your emotions. You cried during every episode of “This is Us”, but you stood solid for you mom as she watched the spirt of her mother, drift away and pass on to the next life.

In every moment of stress there is a cycle of:

HUHHHHH Why is this happening to me? Okay. Let’s figure this out.

* Plans out logistics *

* Cries because logistics is hard *

* Plays gospel music *

* Prays naps and rediscovers a solution *

That is your life, girl. I can’t guarantee that you won’t go through things, but I guarantee that you will get through them. You will cry, you will stumble, be lost. But in the end  you will find your way.

And when ppl say they love you…..it’s okay to not believe it at first because of the past. But know that you ARE worthy of love, you ARE deserving of love and you have many people that genuinely love and care about you.

The way you handle life continues to inspire me to be better.

In those moments when you are unsure of what to do, how to live—or even if you want to live, just breathe. It is okay. It is going to be okay. You do not always have to have the answer. I know you put the hood on yo back and you wanna impress everybody and make everybody proud, but it’s okay to put things on pause if you need to. Self care is important. Do not live for the applause of others. But for the gratification and respect of yourself and your realistic goals.

Continue to mentor, invest in others, and develop professionally, academically, personally and in your social justice journey.

Continue to speak the truth and be real even if you stand alone.

Continue to be true to yourself even when others and the environment challenge you not to be.

Continue to kill them with kindness. Continue to kill the game.

You are more than enough. And you will conquer all things.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

I cannot say it enough.