Dear Survivor: A fan letter
Dear Survivor:
Hi. You don’t know me, but I’m your biggest fan; and I stopped by today to tell you just how much I admire and support you.
I saw you the other day on TV, giving powerful testimony against the alleged attacker who you say stole an important part of your life, heart and peace of mind at the age of 15. You said that he tried to put his hand over your mouth to cover your screams, but you rose to your feet and screamed anyway. Well, to be more accurate, he was the one who screamed and raved; you held your head up, kept your dignity and told your truth. I believe you.
Then I saw you standing in an elevator door, demanding justice and heed from a befuddled senator who couldn’t look you in the eye. You held your ground and made him listen. And eventually, you were heard. And you made a difference. I believe you.
I see you on TV newscasts, I read your articles, I see your comments, I watch you march. I read your books and see your films. You stand up for and represent others like yourself. I believe you.
You’re so beautiful, and you look so different every time I see you. You are black, brown, yellow and white. You are a woman, you are a man. You are a teenager, you are a child, you are a millennial, you are a person of middle age, you are a senior citizen.
In some ways, I am like you. As a woman, I have been stalked and sexually harassed. What happened to me matters. But when I see what you have undergone in your lifetime — the rape, the beating, the child abuse — I wonder at your strength. People tell me I’m tough, inside and out. I was born screaming, or so I’m told, and my grit and physical presence may have ensured my safety overall. But you — you survived the worst.
Every day I write, speak and fight on your behalf. And every day, I watch you thrive. You’re changing the world. And if anyone tells you different, tell ’em to come talk to me. Awright?
Survivor, you rock. You rock the world and are bound to change it — infinitely, and for the better.
You are a survivor.
