I walked along this road so feeble, desperate and alone.

They tell me this is home. But all I feel is emptiness, and a longing in my bones. I stumbled through the darkest nights distraught by what I found. They whispered in my ear so soft, then pinned me to the ground. And on that ground inside my head is where my soul had stayed. For decades of my life, it left me paralyzed and afraid. Slowly; so slowly, I began to come alive. From this nightmare, I did finally awake. But hopelessness still filled the crevices of my mind. There wasn’t much more I could take. When the first one came, I didn’t know who she was, but she said that her name was hope. She said that she’d come to rescue me; to make a home, in my weary bones. Another came next. Her name was peace. She took my hand in hers. She told me she’d be there like an under current, beneath the pain and hurt. Then came another, and then another, bringing darkness and light from the past. Uprooting the things that I needed to let go of. Together, they freed me at last. With eyes wide open I now saw the world; awakened, to the holiest truth. The brightest light was rebirthed within me, and my destiny began to take root. Invisible ceilings and walls filled with silence. I came here to knock them all down. I came to destroy the idea behind them; that our power has limits; that our place in this world as women, was to live in fear on the ground. We will NOT stay quiet. We will NOT stay pinned down. You will hear the deafening roar of our riot. Oh my god, what a glorious sound! The angels rejoice as we reclaim our voice; as we’re coming together as one. One holy mother. One holy woman, collectively sharing; collectively declaring, that the time you’ve reigned over us, is DONE! You will remove your foot, from the small of our backs. We will heal all the damage; every crevice and crack. You thought you’d lord over us for centuries, and that that would simply be that. Well we’re here today to give you a message: WE’RE TAKING OUR POWER BACK! This power is our birthright. It was never yours to take. You held our silence, with fear and with violence. No longer will you stand in our way! The truth has awakened inside us; the origin of who we are. We’re screaming it loud. WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN, though our bodies are broken, and marred. We will climb through the rubble and claim our freedom. Together we’ve come so far. We finally know what we were brought here to do; we finally remember who we are! WE, are the light, that is shining in your eyes. WE, are the truth you can no longer ignore. WE, are survivors who transformed into thrivers, and we will not be silent, anymore.” -Little girl speak