Congrats to Rihanna for receiving the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian Award this past week. Good to read about this part of her life that does not float to the surface regularly. And unlike a lot of artistes whose death is usually the reason for celebrating their 'humanitarian side', It is heartwarming to see her receive it in person. Her path to Harvard is truly different. :), what you can achieve by turning your pain to healing for others. #Humanity #Compassion
Brings to mind a song of hers that keeps tugging at my heart each time it plays -kind of- 'delusions of an abused woman'. Wow, how she has the ability to make 'pain sound so good'! 'Love On The Brain' while driving me to tears for the pain and vulnerability expressed, leaves me in awe at the vocal variety that keeps wanting me to put it on replay. While social status and what 'people will say' is usually considered, the song stimulates a different thought about the interplay between dependence, and addiction in abusive relationships/marriages and reasons why it is not so easy for the abused to leave the abuser. Hope the message in the song reach the audience who need it the most and they come to the realization that 'If you have to plead, pray, manipulate etc. for a man to love and respect you, you are not loving yourself enough'. No man should, with your consent, wield so much power over you as to subject you to any form of abuse - physical, emotional, financial or sexual.
More importantly, if you suspect changes in your personality; like you are losing yourself, like your world feels smaller, or like you are self-imploding, seek help in professional counseling and see hope in survivors. Please do. To you, it may not seem the rational thing to do, I understand why. The benefits will be revealed with time.
You deserve better. You are enough!
(c) Bilqees 2017