This is a response to "The Millennial Fear of Vulnerability Is Clouding Our Newly Created Bonds".

I have been following this graceful and feminine beauty for years. Ever since she started on the classic show of Wizards of Waverly Place, I was hooked. She carried the show with her spunky, sassy, and energetic personality never wavering from being the bold woman that she was. She always had the best comebacks and eluded the most confidence in times of difficulty.

From her Disney Days to her Selena Gomez and the Scene era, I was there. Her first album Kiss and Tell, carried over her sassy character from Wizards. Full of catchy pop beats and rock star anthems, this was one of my favorite albums to bop to. She was just getting started and people were not aware at this time of the influence she would soon have through her courageous efforts in being vulnerable.

I was even crazy enough to want to buy her entire clothing line, "Dream Out Loud" from K-Mart and spray her fruity perfume that smelled like sugary berries and cream all over my body. Life was truly good for me as the awkward teenager I was. She was strutting the girl power through the 2010's and I did not want to leave the era that was occurring.

Through the years, she put out other banger albums like the When the Sun Goes Down and Stars Dance, two heavily mixed synthed albums that made their way to my workout playlist every time. Down the road, she would create some of her rawest and most authentic albums that showed her vulnerability, Revival and Rare

Then she dated Justin. Justin Bieber. The world blew up quicker over it more than any other current event. The 2009 NYE Bash is where people began to wonder if there was more going on than just a friendship between the two.. She was THE One Less Lonely Girl with Justin. Once Selena Gomez started dating Justin, I became just as attached to him as her. I supported them both and loved how in love they were. They were the model relationship, the "it" couple, the little teens in love. There was nothing more perfect. Jelena forever right? I continued my support for them over the years and was rooting for them both through all the ups and downs they had until it all came to an end in the spring of 2018.

The irony is, I was going through a major breakup too in 2018 and felt connected more than ever to Selena Gomez because she had been so easily replaced. I had felt the same as her. Replaced without much insight into the story and panicked by the fact there had been a girl so quickly let in to their world without any healing.

Then Selena entered her most honest era. Documenting her heartbreak through gripping songs and radio interviews, she told the world she was not afraid to hide behind her emotions. She was then honest about her lupus diagnosis. Speaking at charity events and bringing awareness to the disease, she inspired others through her vulnerability about her struggles.

Selena did not stop there, through her Rare Beauty makeup line, she was able to pull money in for her Rare Beauty impact fund which went to mental health efforts. She also helped produce the show 13 Reasons Why which focused on depression and the crippling effects of mental illness.

Selena Gomez then came out with her very personal documentary My Mind and Me, to showcase her own personal struggles with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. The world is a scary and judgmental place, people have the power of social media to create a deadly storm of hate while hiding behind their own insecurities. But, despite that, Selena Gomez risks her honesty and vulnerability amidst the storm of celebrity hate. She volunteers and uses her voice to speak out for others that may not be able to.

She is not afraid to talk about her struggles but also recognizes the power in being kind to yourself and lifting your sprits up. She makes body positive TikToks and sings on how people are all rare in their own way. She remembers that while she has imperfections, she is created in Gods image. Through those vulnerabilities, she radiates kindness and acts with grace. She supports women and will never stand for bullying as it can ruin a person. She wants love but only will invest if the love adds to her life. She recognizes there is beauty in pain and that overcoming obstacles will only help her grow.

I have grown with her through the years and will continue to. She epitomizes everything that is good within the industry that wants so badly to destroy us. She is beauty and she is grace, she is Selena Gomez.