You is kind. You is smart. You is important. – Kathryn Stockett

The first time I found this quote was when I read The Help for the first time and it totally went over my head. (Side note -I’ve never seen the whole movie and don’t really plan to). Sure, it was a good quote with a strong message… but it didn’t really mean anything to me.

However,the other day I stood in front of the mirror at work with tears collecting in my eyes, I found myself whispering these words to myself.

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

Sometimes everyone needs a bit of a pep talk. Just a little something that’ll get them through the rest of their day until they fall asleep that night.

Life can be hard sometimes. And the sad thing is that we cover it up, well I cover it up, because I want people to think that I have my act together and everything is rainbows and sunshine.

But I don’t. And sometimes life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine.

Sometimes, I really need a pep talk. The reassurance that I’m actually doing things right and I’m not a complete failure. But I hide that need and all my insecurities under a big smile and a bunch of sarcasm so that people don’t see that I’m struggling.

But as I stood in the bathroom at work the other day, holding back tears so that my mascara and eyeliner wouldn’t run (and placing paper towels under my eyelashes so that it definitely wouldn’t run)… these words popped into my head:

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

And I realized, I am okay. But I also realized that I’m not the only one who needs that pep talk.

This past weekend, as I spent some time in San Diego with my family, my 10 year old sister reminded me that even though I think she’s the raddest 10 year old in the WORLD, she has no way of knowing it.

I asked her if she knew how proud I was to be her sister, and with tears in her eyes, she looked at me and said, “no, because you’ve never told me.”

We don’t live in  a world where people can read minds and where words don’t mean anything.

We live in a world where community and togetherness is extremely important. Where words can build people up and the lack of words can cause extreme insecurities.

We live in a world where sometimes, what one really needs to hear is: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”