Heart Eyes

    The heart eyes concept was established one fateful Friday night near Valentine's Day when I received a pair of Elton John-esque red heart shape sunglasses. Me being me, in true fashion, wore them every time I went out for the next month and a half. They became such an iconic thing that ultimately, the red heart glasses became a staple for me.

    These glasses did not just appear of my face, but made their way around the room of every party I went to and, before I knew it, I had pictures of all my friends (and strangers) wearing these red heart glasses. At the time, I thought they were just another fad I would look back on and say “What the hell was I thinking?" Instead, during my search for an International Women's Day post, I came across a picture of a woman wearing red heart sunglasses similar to those that braced my face on my nights out. You see, these red heart sunglasses were not just sunglasses, they were a symbol of female empowerment. These glasses allowed us to see past our social differences and shifted our perspective enabling us to have a good time with one another. I like to say they literally allowed the person wearing them to see the love in everyone around them. The world is filled with so much hatred and judgement toward those who are different from the irrational societal "standards" we have placed on humans everywhere. These glasses stand for a change - a new wave of young women fighting their way through the darkness and replacing it with  love.
 
    What I hope people gain from the heart eyes series is that no matter your background, educational status, or political belief, that us, as women, look towards each other with open arms and red heart eyes. Each woman has such a powerful presence and a unique perspective to offer to the world and, if I am able to do my small part by sharing their amazing stories, I feel like those reading can do their small part and simply put on their dollar store red heart glasses.