I have no idea if the people reading this post in the future will be my siblings—whether on my mom’s side or on my father’s side. Quite frankly, it doesn’t really matter.

When I was a kid—or even a teen and even as I walked across the stage to graduate high school 30 May, 2009—I really wished I’d had an older sibling with some kind of life advice to throw at me. But I didn’t. And I haven’t lived the kind of life people dream about or anything, but I do come from one of the worse definitions of a “dysfunctional family”, and that take-no-prisoners thing? I view it as a situational act.

And maybe I’m just not any bit of qualified, either. But I have five siblings. Three are twelve and up, and that’s all I’m allowed to say about them—in addition to my relationship with them: unfortunately estranged due to my estrangement with my mother, but I do still have hope forgiveness isn’t dead and I will be reunited with them again.

I have siblings, and they’ll eventually be old enough for this. And somewhere out there in the world there are at least a few mes who are feeling lost and lonely, and longing for someone like me to tell them it’s alright—or tell them something that isn’t sugarcoated.

I decided on this series earlier this year, but originally last year. Various events happen, I’ve an epiphany or I have a conversation with someone—I keep wanting to write things down to have later, so I can give my siblings something real to read and gather something from. Magazines led to my insecurities, and I want to help turn their power on society around and be more authentic—not tell a girl she has to wear Pretty-Like-Pink-colored lip gloss, fix her hair into a voluminous ‘do with a sleek shine, whiten her teeth until they look like plastic, and can’t order a salad on a date even if it’s her current favorite meal.

My gal siblings still have a lot of time until they need most of the stuff in this series, but maybe the more people out there standing up and speaking out against the “#inspo” much of society spotlights will help reshape the inspirational culture and provide girls with healthier role models…or something.

Something.

I’ve always been someone who stands up for what she thinks is right. I don’t back down, but I do choose my battles.

I want to be the person I needed growing up. With my skills and abilities, this is the best way I know how to do that.

Here goes nothing.