Long live the Cheerleaders

I was selected as one of the top three finalists in the Afreada Writing Contest.I didn't win. But I did a brave thing and I came close.I know I could make this a post about taking risks, taking a step when you can't see where it leads or having a strong will that simply never gives up, constantly pursuing our most cherished dreams. But this is actually a post about a Stephanie and some fierce kind of support burning inside my heart.Stephanie is one of those girlfriends you just want to hug and tuck inside your side pocket just because no other kind of cuteness gets this real. I received a text from her on Monday, her energy almost jumped off the screen.She was overly excited about a Writing Contest she had seen online. These were her exact words "When I read the first line, you were the first person who came in mind. You'll do great!" Obviously I said I was going to have a look at it (which is something I say when I have no intention of doing so.)I remember complaining. I told her I was tired. I never win these competitions. I freaked out when I discovered the deadline. I had barely 5 days to write a 500 word story.I came up with every reasonable explanation as to why I couldn't (or didn't want to) enter this contest. But Stephanie wouldn't hear the last of it. She insisted I write the story. She said she had a good feeling about it.To begin with, chances are, I would have probably never come across that website. I run around a lot. I'm interning at this great firm that pretty much swallows my time from the surface of the earth. I sleep on the bus. I eat snacks on the move. There's not a brief golden moment I've surfed the internet to find all these amazing opportunities that indeed actually exist.Sometimes we have to dig to find what we're looking for. Other times too, we will have people walk up to us with treasures they've already found.Surrounding ourselves with the right people is as significant as watching the foods we consume to stay healthy.It is imperative that we build the right communities. That we surround ourselves with people who believe in what we stand for, who see a map of where we want to get to and do everything they can to get us started on the journey and see us arrive.When I hit send in my mail before the deadline, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I said this is it. There. Finally. Done. Let's see how this goes.Two weeks after that, I stare back at a message saying although I didn't win, my story made the cut for top 3 and was going to be published. I screamed. I called Stephanie. On the phone, I begun to cry. All the time, she kept saying "I'm proud of you, Try. I knew you could do this. I'm so proud of you, girl."It was overwhelming. Being believed in, being rooted for, being seen and trusted as capable.People don't talk about support. We don't hear about them in rap songs or walk past signs that read "Push a brother up, yo!" And in this age where talents are being realized and creatives are waking up to the reality of the Art world, no body's paying attention.I can't say having the right team is going to solve all our problems. But this is what I'm certain of: the right team always show up. They go through the valleys with us. They look at all the possible solutions and try to come up with the best option. Sometimes they bring opportunities to our doorsteps and urge us to go for it. And sometimes they simply insist because for people like me, "no" is the easiest button to push when a challenge is presented.Truth is, it matters who we invite to our tables. It matters because for some of them, the language of love they speak is fierce support, cheer leading, dragging us to the tracks and screaming on the top of their lungs that we jump the hurdles or we're not leaving.And today, I'm thankful for friends who invest in us, who win battles for us even before we start. Friends who cheer us on, endlessly without doubt that we're capable, we're winners and we're going places.Long live the Cheerleaders. Long live their unshakable faith, their courageous hearts, and their tremendous love.