In 2021, artist /songwriter, Jazmine Sullivan released a song called Girl Like Me featuring HER. At first, listen, I thought about what the "Girl Like Me" title meant when looking at my own life.

When I think about my beliefs, actions, and behaviors, I understand that my intricacies... those very complicated and frank details of what makes me who I am have caused some of my intimate relationships to end through rejection.

When I listened and read the lyrics to the song, I instantly thought about the ending of my first marriage, from making a profile on Tinder and being blocked on social media to dressing more provocatively and taking a stab at my version of "Heaux Tales," nevertheless, it hit home.

I learned very personally that rejection and hurt can shift a person's mind to not giving a f*ck. During that time, as the lyrics mention, I, too, felt that my rejected self had a way of questioning my confidence, body, feelings, emotions, and attractiveness.

For some of us, rejection runs deep when trying to understand how we intimately relate to others. I've been a tomboy most of my life; I can remember being rejected by boys (and girls) on the playground, as well as male students in high school and college. I could only assume this was due to my lack of femininity and "good girl" beliefs of not messing around after school, but I could be wrong.

However, despite my confused, hurt and unsure mind, I also learned that nothing lasts forever, not even that space of uncertainty after deep rejection. With all the decisions I made during the end of my 1st marriage (good and bad), I am better for it. It's just part of the journey for some of us, but we eventually come out better on the other side, if we do our self-love work.

I hope our young girls, our young women, hell, and even grown women don't need to question their worth, jump feelings first into different relationships, or sleep around recklessly because of rejection.

Girl Like Me

To Be Great

Blackberry