An Open Letter To Rihanna

Dear Rihanna:
I've always admired you. You've always projected this air of strength and independence that is so inspiring, especially in today's world where those very things are so easily looked down on. You're fearless. You're the woman who isn't afraid of anything.

But now? Well, I'm worried that I'm worrying enough for the both of us. You see, ever since I discovered that you're possibly collaborating with Chris Brown, I can't help but feel like my heart is sinking just a little bit. I worry about you. I'm sad for you. Everyone and their brother seems to be mad at you, and I'll admit that my face was red with rage when I first heard the news. A million little questions ran through my mind, like...

What is she thinking?
How stupid must she be?
Did she just forget everything he did to her?

And the more I thought about it -- and the more questions I asked myself -- the more I realized just how anger-fueled these questions were. To paraphrase Adele, there was a fire burning in my heart. I was seething mad. Just like the rest of the world. But unlike the rest of the world, I'm not angry with you. I'm angry -- burning with anger, remember -- at him.
So that's precisely what this letter is about. It's about how you're worth it. It's about how no guy is worth any part of you if he doesn't respect all of you. You're deserving of a love in which you don't have to compromise or settle. Yes, it can be scary to move on, but a lot of times, we're stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Sometimes moving on means getting in touch with that stronger self we never knew we had.

You once sang about finding love in a hopeless place. Maybe that love isn't with another person. Maybe it's a love for yourself. Because once you have that love (it's the sort of greatest love of all that the great Whitney Houston once sang of...), no one -- especially a guy -- can take it away from you. It's yours. There's a certain power in knowing that, isn't there? So, I hope you'll find it. On your own terms, because you most certainly deserve it.

[Photos via The Frisky and Le Love]