V-Day- Until the Violence Stops

V-day used to mean, hearts, pink/red love, sweet kisses, and friendship.

Remember those little "be mine" Valentines you would get... everyone excited and buzzing....except for that one person, who looked sad because they didn't get any?
I hated that!
I always made Valentines for people I didn't know well, so no one felt left out.
Damn Hallmark Holiday!

Then...last year at this time, I was involved in the direction and performance of Eve Ensler's award winning play "The Vagina Monologues"

I learned how hard women are fighting for the freedom to live, read, breathe, walk, love, laugh, without being abused, mutilated, exploited, broken.....made invisible- globally.

I discovered that Violence against women and children is much...much... sadly MUCH more prevalent than my somewhat sheltered brain could conceive .

I was so proud, honored, changed- to be part of a movement that was standing up tall and noisilly to make a difference with MY EYES NEWLY WIDE OPEN. The V-Day Movement.

This year, I look at the commercials, listen to single friends grimace about this day that harbours such expectation, and I am sad that V-day can have such power for negativity when its entire essence is supposed to be about love.

I am taking the V-Day message and and adding my voice to spread the word
It IS about "love"....love yourself, love a stranger enough to say, " NOT IN MY COMMUNITY" , and love each other enough to support and empower the women and children who need it most of all.

I wish you all a loving and empowering V-Day...."Until the Violence Stops"