Pieces of We

7/27/2019 Pieces of We

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2/12

Conceved and Edted Ashlegh Carter, wrtten


3/12

LOVEANDTHANKSTORachel Ryon

Malaika Suarez

Eden Papineau

Lotus Lee

Rian Loren Moses

Whitney Pride

Nahid Koonkanrizi

Erika Del Cid

April Sage

SpECiAL TOpiCS17ltionhip

{contnt}questions answered by all

who yo wht yo tnd fodfin tong womn

RESpONSES

ntokhng

10 mlik

12 chl yon

14 dn ppin

16 lot l?

?

?

QUOTES

Forwar

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4/12

well, i am9

These words came rom my cousins mouth and I wasabbergasted. This is the response she gave as reason-ing as to why she had done something she had no busi-ness doing at her young age. It hurt my heart a bit. Ididnt want her growing up too ast, missing out on thebeauty, un, and innocence o being young while beinginvolved and concerned with the unnecessaryespecial-ly as a girl.

I remembered back to the age o nine and being obliviousto so many ideas and concepts that she and so many oth-ers o her generation are now aware o. What our youngpeople are exposed to today has the capability o agingthem and obscuring their innocence. This exposure canbe bittersweetit all depends on what theyre exposedto and i and/or how theyre applying this inormationto lie. I began to question where innocence has gone,where its going, and i it will ever come back?

As we get older I think most o us realize the youth in each age. We better uwhat were capable o, what our worries should consist o, and the reedohave. At the age o twelve I thought I was grown. I worried about things I dto worry about and begin to learn o and understand things beyond me andWhile many experiences will undoubtedly come and be known with age, learned prematurely and beore the time that is necessary. Our encounterswe are exposed to growing up dier depending on our surrounding environas we get older and, again, realize and understand age, its important or u

that understanding with younger generations. Let them know that theres muour lives to live and do thi ngs like grown ups.Our world isnt going slow dI eel like as every generation passes the previous is saying to the new, thlike they us ed to be.

And theyre not.

Things are orever changing--as they should. For better and or worse.

Durng m wnter reak o m senor semester I got this grand idea o makI wasnt sure what the subject matter would be, but I knew I wanted to designimprove my graphic design skills and promote a cause I believe in.

This year I became intrigued by the beauty and strength o women. I mohouse with our other girls, three whom I had already known, and one Id bor the frst time. I wasnt sure how the living situation would be or what todrama, madness, bickering, raging hormones, perhaps peacebut I went open mind. The one thing I knew is that I would try and remain chill no matte

go with the ow as always.

I grew to love the house I live in and every person in it. All o our personamindsets are similar and dierent in many respectable ways. I elt privilegedhouse o driven, ree-spirited, strong, and independent women. How did fvthis end up within one house? It gave me hope about girls my age, and any aThat there are many women out there with morals and values, sel-respect,cumb to the pressures o society, have created their own image o beauty, ing and growing, appreciate knowledge, and will continue to set goals or thdream, and work hard to make those dreams a reality.

As I met the riends o my roomates I was introduced to even more cool angirls o dierent ethnicities and backgrounds, beautiul stories and liestyleslook at all people dierently and became more accepting. I think sometimes wriendships or any type o relationship beore it even begins. We judge beoany sort o evidence to make that judgment. But rom living with these girls Imy mind, gained much respect or peoples dierences, and am intrigued bythat they may possibly have to share with me.

Ater that moment with my younger cousin and rejoicing on the experienhaving with my roommates, I knew exactly what the ocus o my book woulbook would be created or young girls rom middle to high school, and or thoearly college years. Itd be or those girls at that stage where theyre fgurindiscovering many things about themselves, slowly making that transormachild to teen, young adult to woman. I spoke to a riend about the idea and the incident with my cousin and my living experience with my roomates, anfrmed that, yes, I should defnitely make this book dedicated to young girls.

FORWARD

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5/12

But what would I want to share with them and tell them? I questioned whether I alonehad enough to say. Whether or not I had stories and advice interesting enough to learnrom. And while I considered the possibility, I didnt think all that I could have to saywould amount to the insight, thoughts, advice, goals, dreams, missions, and more o a

collective group o women.

So there was my idea. I would ask a group o women who have had some sort o impacton my lie or someone elses that I knew, to give a bit o them to these young girls and

women that I hope will enjoy this book.

There were three man questons i asked each grl. These questons were:

Who you are?

What you stand or?

and what your defnition o a strong woman is?

So what is my response to these three questions? It was easy to ask others to respondbut I ound it difcult to answer mysel.

Who i AmMy name is Ashleigh Carter and I am a visual artist, crater, designer, and ree-spirit

What i Stand ForFreedomKnowledgeGrowthIndividuality

Sel-respectBeing builders

I dislike the idea o humans being limited or limiting themselves. I think its importantthat we eventually come to an understanding that there is a reason each o us are onthis earth, and fnding that purpose. But this search isnt easy. It takes an open-mind,discovery, research, meeting dierent people, visiting dierent places, surroundingyoursel with positivity, and more. And sometimes this search is hindered by orces be-yond ourselvesa government or higher power o some sort, money, mental or physi-cal handicaps, the people we are associated with and/ or amily, limited education, lacko access to inormation sources, or maybe our environment.

Ultimately, I think is important that each o us sees the light in ourselves and acknowl-edges the light in others. Sometimes it seems like the world is against us, but knowingwhat our worth is pushes us to fght. So grow by reading, discovering, learning, ob-serving, associating, etc. But also build each other up by seeing and expressing one an-others ullest potential. Having knowledge o this alone can make one eel limitless.

What i beleve Defnes A Strong Woman

A strong woman sees her beauty arbeyond the physical, and understands that itssource comes rom her heart, mind, and spirit.

A strong woman is humble, sensitive, and seless.

She has an understanding that she has purpose. Shes independent and confdent.Over time she allows lie and positive inuences to help her develop strong moralsand values. She remains open to constructive change in her character. She searches orpeople or experiences that will grow her up yet keep her young-spirited, relevant, andalive. She sees beyond hersel and understands that there are others that are deserving

o her love, time, and eortswhether it is mankind and/or a higher being.

To the grls, oung women, and women readng ths:

Allow lie to help you slowly develop your own defnition o what makes a wteresting and intriguing, sexy, strong, and admirable. This defnition may chtime but having some sort o idea that sounds unique to you and not to yo

amily, society, or the world, is important. Youll need it to survive and remaina world that is oten against us.

I jus hope these stories and experiences shared make an imprint on your heand soul. I hope you come to better understand your worth, beauty, and capaone else is showing or telling you this. I want you to become the best you bydefnition and standards, as I believe all in this book have done.

Read this and become earless. Fearless to dream. Fearless to be open-mindeand discover new things. To open up to people you would have never expecunderstand that we as women have to stick together and build each other upto encourage, support and applaud one another.

This isnt a eminist book, but a book to celebrate the beauty o our eminism

Much love,

Ashlegh Carter

p.s. Dayjuana, I love you so. This book is dedicated to you.

Dear Princess,

I know that the world is not hatred proof and that ther e might be feacouragement, uncertain ty, inse curity and desp air whirling arou nd in your But, even with these truths please know that you are special and beautiful

inside first then out .Believe that; believe in you; believe in y our light .

Love,Lotus Lee

{a note from Lotus Lee}

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6/12

NtozakeWhen I dIe, I WIll notbe guIlty of havIng left

a generatIon of gIrls

behInd thInkIng that

anyone can tend to

theIr emotIonal healthother than themselves.

[american playwright and poet]

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7/12

mliksuarez

everyone possesses the abIlIty to adapt"

I stand for human connection, limitless educat ion, infinitehope.

I believe in the power of perception and its ability toguide our emotions.

Without the entire spectrum, we wouldn t be living.

My Grandma Haydee gave birth to 11 kids. Her and Pa managed to put each of them through private school in Manila before get-

ting everyone to the US, and if that isnt magic I dont need to know what is. Aside from the muscle and grit it probably took to

raise that many children, there is a quieter strength I know she possessed to keep those threads intertwined -- for a family that not

only existed but functioned.

When she passed away in October it forced a somber but warming reunion, because aside from all the drama that comes with big

families, at the end of the day there is nothing more powerful than the love she has woven between us. The fact that I am aware of it

now, and see it in my mother, only strengthens the idea that she lives on. That everyone possesses the ability to adapt. That some

things never change.

Im Malaika, and I am a Sponge o

art(http://myartspace.com/artistIno.do?populatinglist=home&

subscriberid=pjjvbn929yw1ds1)

music(http://www.myspace.com/mmmmmalaika)

stu(http://www.malaikasuarezseniorportolio.blogspot.com)

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8/12

My name is Rachel Ryon and I am a social justiceactivist and co-ounder o Lovemine, a collaborative

movement o people and organizations committedto peace, hope and reedom or the people o Burma

I believe that, as Invisible Children say s, where you live

shouldn t determine whether you live. Theres so much injus-

tice that pervades our world -- selfish people are in power

who oppres s their people, an d the rich only want to get rich-

er and t rample on others to do so. Injustice is everywhere--

from the mount ains of Burma to the inn er-city of Camden, New

Jersey . Something is not right with our world and most of

us know that, but not all of us care enough to take action.

Because of my travels, all of this became personal and I

began to care. Ive met the victims of government oppres-

sion, of ethnic cleansing, of genocide in B urma . At the end

of my first visit to a refugee camp in Thailand I realized

that Id seen too much and hear d too many victims stories.

I n ow had a responsibility to tell the ir story . So thats

what I try to do-- tell these stories in hopes of ignit-

ing something within people that will inspire them to act .

To me, a strong woman is one who isnt led by fear or by

comfort. She is not ruled by fear - fear of being alone, fear

of not being able to take care of herself. And she does notmerely want to be comfortable -she spends herself dan-

gerously on the behalf of others. A strong woman doesnt

let anyone tell her that she cant do something just be-

cause of her gender. A strong woman takes the challenge

and proves gracefully and humbly that yes, sh e can.

somethIng Is not rIght WIth our World and most of us

knoW that, but not all of us care enough to take actIon.

rchl ryon

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9/12

dn

From a very early age I understood how important it

was to be a strong woman. Growing up in a single-parent

household my mom had to work twice as hard which set

an example for me; that it takes hard work and persever-

ance to support yours elf and your family. Without a strong

male role model I realized that a woman can do anything

a man can do and more. I became independent and hard-

working but used art as an outlet to remain youthful.

I had plenty of emotional support throughout

financially we struggled . I worked hard in high

cause I knew I would have to pay for my ow

Once I was a sophomore in college I joined the Co

because I wanted to do something selfless and c

I wanted to show the world that women are just

and I wanted to set an example for my then 8 ye ar

A strong women is someone who wants to make a d ifference. Who stands strong and proud and ho lds he

high. Who fights for what they believe in and isnt afraid to speak up. I believe that a woman in todays world

more roles to undertake and it i s our job to teach and set an example for the next generation of women.

aWomancan doanythIng

a mancando andmore

Artist, coast guardsman (coastie), baker, daughter and riend.


10/12

5

My name is Lotus Mary Alexandra Lee. Im a creator

and artist o many orms.

My idea of a strong woman is a woman who consistently challenges her boundaries and lives to be bigger than

A strong woman holds her head high and stands with her shoulders back, embracing good posture out of c

good spirit, wonder, and belief in herself. A strong woman isnt boastful, but humble and grounded by admi

acteristics, morals, and beliefs. A strong woman knows her place in the universe and knows she is fully deserv

place. A strong woman is a human with insecurities as anyone else, yet is comfortable in her own skin and

all the beauties she contains. Lastly, b ut not most importantly, a strong woman knows she is not inferior to aanyone; especially not to any man.

I stand for, what I consider to be, subsets/avenues of love:

fairness for all, balance/harmony amongst all relationships

(whether it be between human beings, n ature and h uman

beings, or human beings and the Devine), kindn ess, truth, giv-

ing, passion, freedom, and peace. Essentially in standing forthese subsets of love, I stand for love itself; a love that

is thoroughly UNCONDITIONAL and strives for transpar-

ency to the love that I believe is truly me ant for us. The

absence of love, I think, is also the absence of life and it s

my conquest during my time on this earth to do everything

within my power to keep this unconditional love alive.

LotL

As an artist, I aim for the success and thriving of my creative talents. But, in this aim I do not wish for the glory

self but for greater possibilities such as blissful stimulation, healing, insp iration, positive movement/change and educ

others.


11/12

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There are a several thngs that are mortant or a re-

latonsh to succeed and grow. To one another ou

owe a certan resonslt ecause ou have earned

and clamed that ttle o est rend.

I believe together you and your riend must be synergetic. You

have to orm a great team, work together, share your dreams

with one another, help each other pursue those dreams, and

support one another throughout lie.

You have to trust each other and be honest with one another.

Dont judge but do be contructively critical. Truth can and will

hurt, but you both have to understand the intentions o your

honesty--that its to help one another grow and become the best

selves you can be.

Youre both going to go throuch changes and phases in lie. Its

best to just be there to support or provide your input or advice

on any phase or transition the two o you go through.

Be sensitive to one another and listen. Make sure youre both

giving and taking in the relationship. Be a listener and a speaker.

The psychologist and the patient in need.

The two, three, our, fve or however many that make up your

extraordinary tandem or crew, should balance eachother out, be

eachothers support, and bring out the best in one another.

hghl dout that we are to l ive throughout lie alone. There is no way that with the bil-lions and billions o people placed on this earth that we are not suppoed to establish some type o

relationship with at least one o them. In act, I think we are born with the necessity o connection.

Once conceived in our mothers womb were already beginning the process o establishing a con-

nection with another being--one that stems rom dependency and deep love. While the relationshipyou have with your mother in the womb can and most likely wil l dier much rom what you estab-

lish with the people you will meet as you grow and experience lie, the idea o the relationship is

still the same--lie wouldnt be the same without them.

It can defnitely be a challenge fnding someone worthy enough that youre willing to let into your

lie. A person you trust, will expose yoursel to, and share experiences with. Many will come in and

out o your lie and youll hold on to ew. As we grow and meet new people each day, relationships

will be gained and lost, but you begin to understand the traits, qualities, and personalities that you

hope or in a riend.

I know it can be difficult to al-low people to get close to yousometimes. Everyones peopleinteraction differs based on ex-periences theyve been through.But no matter what, I believethe best way to ap proach the

world is with an open mind. Beaware and attentive and pay at-tention. Liste n to people. Its okto keep a gaurd up and ex poseonly bits and pieces of your-self slowly. But as long a s youhave an open mind, at leastyour giving someone a chanceof teaching you something newabout the world, about people,about life, and maybe aboutyourself. And then you caneventually decide whether youwill let them into your world,your min d, and your heart .


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Pieces of We

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