Being newly diagnosised, a new member to the Positive Women’s Network as well as The Well Project (it's like HIV/AIDS has its own world or community), I was super excited to be able to attend the 10 Year’s Fierce Speak Up Summit. Starting with delayed flight I started to get annoyed that I was going to arrive late and felt as if I was gone miss something (I wanted to experience EVERYTHING). Then when I ran into Bruce Richman (#UequalsU) in Charlotte, NC I felt a whole lot better. I figured if this awesome person hasn't arrived yet, than I couldn't be missing too much. Then Bruce let me know there was a bunch of women on the other side waiting to board too, so I was over my own self-worrying battle I had in my head and was back to being super stoked to meet everyone else.
Arriving in Myrtle Beach and taking in the scenery (my first time there) was breathtaking,but stepping in that conference room with over 349 women and immediately feeling welcomed, loved, and amongst family. I instantly embraced some of my sisters I was longing to meet and see. When I think of PWN, I think of a family, a family that is branched out over the world but can come together under one establishment and encourage and empower one another.
During the summit different precepectives on a certain issue arose and set the energy off for a few hours, for some, the rest of the day. By the next day I can promise you everyone pitched into correcting the matter and like a real family, everyone kissed and made up. Overcoming that issue and coming back together as one really made me appreciate being a new member of the family. I even made a mistake and offended one of my trans sisters by seeing her as a trans woman and not a woman first. We used our uncomfortable encounter as an example to show that we can make mistakes and possibly offend or hurt someone's feelings, but as people or family it's important to acknowledge our mistakes and try our best to correct them because we ALL deserved to be loved and accepted.
I GREATLY appreciate being welcomed into my sisterhood (The Well Project- A Girl Like Me) and thank you so much for presenting me with this opportunity. Love and Light #LIYT
