Darling,

be like a rock.

Be strong and grounded,

be the support system others need

but be strong enough to stand on your own.

Do not be marble.

Do not let others cut you up and put you where they want.

Don’t let them make their bathrooms or their floors out of you.

Do not let them walk on you in your time of weakness.

Don’t be a diamond.

Others will see your beauty and determine your value.

Your voice will not be heard over the crowd placing a number

where your confidence and strength should be.

They will not care about your self-worth, only their own standards.

Be a stone in a riverbed.

Be tough and strong to withstand whatever is thrown at you.

Allow change to come and smooth over your rough edges.

Be an important part of a bigger picture, and be flexible when someone

picks you up and throws you back into the water, where you’ve never been.

Be a force on your own and fight against the force of life.

Darling,

be like a rock.

-a.s.