"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

This is a small rhyme we are taught as children, but can never seem to carry out as we grow older. Words hurt. Plain and simple.

Within the past month, I have been called fat and told to "lose some pounds," by two separate boys. It's not like anyone has never called me a name before. I have been called everything from fat to bitch to slut. Normally these things don't affect me because I am comfortable with who I am. I will never be the stick, skinny girl. I will never be the girl to sit in the corner and keep my mouth shut and if that makes me a b*tch, so be it.

But what if I wasn't comfortable with who I was? What if I had an eating disorder? What if I harmed myself because I grew to hate who I was? What if I cried myself to sleep every night with suicidal thoughts? Would you still call me a bitch? Would you still tell me to lose weight? What if you were the reason someone ended their life? Would you be able to live with yourself?

These two boys have no idea about who I am and what I've gone through, yet they chose to tell me I'm fat to try to tear me down. Both times, I was standing up for a friend, so they chose to try to "hit me where it hurts."

Boys (because you certainly aren't men), next time you want to call a girl a name, think twice. It says a whole lot about you as a person, and a lot less about the girl you are attacking.

It's hard enough being a girl. We have so many reminders that tell us to act and look one way. Make-up. Periods. Perfect weight. Perfect skin. Flawless hair. If we kiss a guy, we are a slut. If we deny a guy, we are a prude. Being a girl is hard.

I am too entirely sick of people trying to tear me down. I am fortunate enough to have the stability and strength to take those insults and comments and blow them off. Others, not so much. Think before you speak. Be kind to one another.