This girl's dream, was that she would be loved. She imagined an audience to cheer her on, for the songs she would sing.

In adulthood, she learned that to be loved, she needed to keep reaching out of herself and learn to love others. It turned out to be less important to give her love to the powerful, whom she pleased out of fear, and more important to love the vulnerable, such as her own daughter, the poor, the incarcerated in need of kindness. As she thus offered her love, this little girl received the love she craved, from those sweet people who loved her back so effortlessly, so beautifully, and so generously.

Having received the love, she learned to stretch her empathy and find true understanding for the authorities who harmed her, and went from fearing them to loving them, seeing hurt little boys behind the mask of power.

It's been quite the journey so far, and yet it also seems like it's just beginning. This girl is singing now, and she'll keep on singing her song to a receptive audience.

Welcome, International Day of the Girl. Welcome future leaders, who will lead with empathy instead of aggression. Welcome all you girls whose power is uncoupled from your sexuality, because you are the dawn of liberation.