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A little something for our dear friend Kiyasama. |
Kiya, I have never communicated with you. You have communicated with me through your art and through your words. I discovered your artwork in mid-January. It's beauty and the talent of the person that created it left me with a feeling of total awe. Little did I know what hell you were experiencing at the time. What I saw was a person with a warm and beautiful soul. I read your story "A Dream Deferred" and though I saw what a horrifying experience you endured I also saw something more powerful. No person should have to go through what you did, what the other women there did as well. Unfortunately, bad things happen to good people many times a day in this world. What I saw in your art and in your essay was the story of a young girl who was only sixteen that traveled far from home to help a sick sister and help take care of her family. That was a big challenge for a girl of only sixteen. You met that challenge head-on and you succeeded. You took on the challenge of finding a way to stay in the U.S. You hired lawyers and experts to help you. You did not fail. They failed you. You continued to fight that battle. You never gave up. That is why I say you did not fail because you only fail when you give up. The Lawyers failed you. The system failed you and still, you kept fighting. You took on the challenge of college and succeeded in getting a nursing degree. You took on the challenge of establishing a nursing career and you succeeded. You took on the challenge of learning art design software and created art that is nothing short of breathtaking. You succeeded at that. In your writing, I saw a woman who took time out to grieve. When she was done grieving, she once again found her strength that helped her overcome so many obstacles. She discovered her resilience that was always there and she refused to let four concrete walls define her because she was still that person that would never give up. Kiya, this is one more obstacle to overcome and you will overcome it because you have succeeded at every challenge you've decided to meet head-on. Only you don't have to do this alone. Your WDC Family will be with you every step of the way lending our support in every way that we can. I can feel the love and respect each of these people has for you in the words that they have written. I know you will feel it too and know that it is real. Another Member of your WDC Family, LJ Leighton |