RESPECT ME!
Respect, they say, is reciprocal. You give respect and in turn get respect—or should I say, may feel entitled to it. But then, it is also said that respect is earned. You don't force it.
To earn the respect of another, one must be ready to give respect, not just to others, but first and foremost to oneself. It’s absurd to expect to be treated by others with utmost value when I have not accorded myself nearly enough.
For many, especially women, the absence of self-respect isn't for lack of desire to express it but the result of years of mindset conformity to the fact that a woman's value is tied to how well she serves—not how well she thinks, leads, or dreams.
In some places and cultures, women are raised from a tender age to be lost to their dreams, passions, and purpose, only to please. They are taught that their greatest fulfillment and highest achievement is becoming someone's wife. Hence, it's a double dose of disrespect and devaluation to not just be a woman but an unmarried one at that. Can one be more unfortunate?
Well, I chose otherwise! Respect me—not for what I can do for you, but for who I am.
I am a woman; that's not a crime.
I am a woman; I have value.
I am good for more than just the pleasure of your bed or the satisfaction of a pleasantly cooked meal to warm your belly.
I am more than a soft body for your hard days. I am a helper, but I am in no way less!
I am a woman with a mind, a purpose, and a right to live out both. I have a voice; no longer will I whisper my worth just to make others comfortable. I know my worth, and it's far above even rubies.
Hence, I will teach my daughters and their daughters after them that:
They deserve education, not just instructions; opportunities, not just obligations; freedom, not just favors; to love and respect themselves, and to demand respect.
Respect me
Because I am worthy.
Because I am enough.
Because I am a woman.
Imagies were AI generated
Thanks for reading through!
