Would say the most genuine pro-woman thing a man has ever said to me is, “If I wanted to, I’d hurt you but I’m not going to. Just be careful out there. Men can be monsters.”

This was from my ex who was like a rare breed of a good man who treated me like a goddess.<br><br>This was back in 2009 when I was 23 and I’m 38 now. It still resonates with me. <br><br>Because I’m sure most of you here have been made to feel the way I have just for being a woman, and if you haven’t, consider yourself very lucky.<br><br>This is the reality for women and most of us have experienced the dark underbelly of how men treat women in private. We can’t say anything about it because we don’t want to be seen as man-haters or liars, so we hold it in our hearts, and sometimes it’s too much to bear.<br><br>I’ve been through a lot as a woman, and I’ve seen and heard some fucked up shit that is still embedded in my psyche. I can’t unsee it or unfeel it, and I doubt most of us can.<br><br>So I’m just going to say this: I love and appreciate every single one of you and I feel your pain. I can’t say this enough, but keep going, not for them, but for yourselves. You are beautiful. You are worthy. And you are not alone. 💖