lil thanks <3

If you’re reading this, you have no idea how incredibly thankful I am !!! If you’ve taken a moment to even scroll through the site or read one of my ridiculously long ass captions before, I appreciate you more than I can describe.

This piece in particular literally has no deep, moving, story in it but it is international women’s day today and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the badass women who’ve shown support, love and inspiration in this world of chaos. Whenever asked about why I even started The Priya Project and chose to talk about these topics, as a POC, let alone as a young woman (because what insight could i possibly have at this age), to this day I literally

????

There’s always been at least one female in the group who’s had my back when that happens, but what the fuck is so wrong with speaking up about my own personal experiences and the harsh realities that have sadly become so overlooked? If I’m comfortable talking about these “taboo topics'' then the least I can do is be a voice for those who aren’t able to come forward.

As for the aunties who’ve tried to get their daughters away from my social media or given me shit for opening up these conversations, it’s time they open their eyes and realize that our daughters need us to recognize these things and be able to depend on one another. We as humans need to be here for each other and uplift one another not break each other down.

On the other hand, I think the world of you and am so grateful you’ve given me the time of day to cry, rant, and most of all, allow me to take you through so much of this journey. I’ve always taken a step back and felt this heavy guilt on me, like shit man, I’m so sorry. To all of the people around me, I’ve always been so sorry that it may not have not been easiest with me. I felt like I've always overthought and constantly tip-toed around people. As I wrote more and more, you guys are the ones who came forward and even resonated with the pieces. As The Priya Project grew, I went from using this platform as a form of catharsis, to finding peace and being able to grow with a community of love, support, and like minded baddiesss

Although my parents are my best friends, my relationship with them wasn’t always easy. Even though they’re my people, this is a part of my life I don’t entirely share with them. They dealt with more than any parent should’ve endured during my freshman year when the anonymous messages and harassment began, from Against All Odds. Despite them absolutely being the most incredible support system, it also meant I had to recognize when enough was enough for anyone to go through. I’ve always taken blame for them having to go through that and tried my best to hide a lot of the situations from them so they wouldn't worry or feel triggered by memories, even though I know they’d be super supportive. Unfortunately, that also meant not sharing The Pri Project, not being open about working with violence prevention based nonprofits, and never going into this side of my life with them, despite it being a large part of who I am. It does get really hard watching them always have the opportunity to show off my siblings’ accomplishments, and have intimate talks with my brothers about their newest projects and hobbies, but nonetheless, it made me push a bit harder to make up for everything and become that much closer.

Whether or not you talk about your demons or your hobbies, you don’t have to tell the whole world what you have gone through to make it an important topic of discussion. I choose not to share this part of my life with the two most important people in my world, and that’s okay. However, in any way, we can continue to raise awareness on issues and be there for each other as we progress to be the strong people we aspire to be. From moving forward together, to accomplishing everything our heart desires, there is a different purpose for different people in your life and this is just another example of.

I’ll always know this side of my life is still an accomplishment in itself, and it’s forced me to learn how to be proud of myself on my own. However, none of that would’ve been possible without the constant support and encouragement from you!! If you’ve gotten this far, I’m that much more grateful. Thank you for giving me a minute to scroll through the site, to share this outlet with me, and for giving my story so much appreciation and love. I appreciate you more than I can put into words man. So if you’ve ever given me the time of day, thank youuu.

<3 pri