A Cape Town woman who was body-shamed has written an open letter to the guy that publicly bullied her, giving him a little advice.
Hila Jonker wrote the open letter and posted it on social media, little did she know that it would go viral, and inspire thousands… all we’re hoping is the guy that body-shamed her see’s it & realizes that body-shaming and bullying is not cool!
“An open letter to the man who bodyshamed me as I was running down Strand Street on the eve of 21 December 16.”
“Last night I was angry, I was hurt and I was angry. I tried to imagine all the horrible things I want to happen to you but I was too hurt and angry.”
“Today the anger is gone. The hurt is gone.”
“What is left in their place are pity and forgiveness. Pity for you that you feel the need to express hateful things to strangers. I pity you because your mind is not yours, you have handed it to society to shape and mould.”
“I pity your partner, walking by your side, because while she smiled and laughed at my hurt reaction to your flippant judgement of me, somewhere in her mind an idea dropped in place that if she “let herself go” you would stop loving her. That her only worth to you is her body and her looks.”
“I forgive you because you don’t know my journey.”
“You don’t know how far I have come, you only see how far I have to go. You don’t know the hard work I put in and my reasons for it so you cannot know how hurtful you were being.”
“I forgive you because I realise that no one taught you that judgement is automatic but what you choose to do with it is your choice.”
“I forgive you because I don’t need to carry hurt and anger.”
“I don’t need to blacken my heart to match yours.”
“My hope for you is that someone finds the time to teach you empathy and that you are open enough to learn.”
“With love and blessings. The overweight woman running for her Uber.”
The post is being shared far and wide across social media with one common thread… stop bullying!
Kelly-Llain Figueiredo posted: “My hope for you Hila Jonker my friend is that you see and most of all feel “the love” in these reactions to your post. ‘Love’ far out weighs the the ugliness of an unexpected judgment. I am so proud of you! Look how you have taken back your power, by not allowing “some cluless person” … to diminish your worth. You are my hero, girl!”
Frans J.C. Martins added: “Proud of you Hilz! Takes a lot of guts to do what you do And keep on doing it. I have rude words for the dude that shamed you, best left unsaid… go girl!”
Kerry Hewitt-Snyders comments: “I don’t know you Hila, but your post has made it all the way to London. Well done for letting some idiot momentary comment not undo all of what you’ve done so far. I see you and you look like a beautiful person to know, inside and out. Well done you!”
It’s nearly 2017 people… do we really need to be telling you to be a nice human?
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