I’ve been observing relationships lately. Not just relationships along the lines of “boos” and “baes” (I truly detest the word bae for some reason), but relationships between families, friends, coworkers and comrades.

I’ve witnessed in others, and seen for myself the figurative Negative Nellies, Doubting Deborahs, Cynical Sams, Tear apart Tommies and Gossipping Glendas literally rip relationships to shreds for selfish gain and other unwise reasons. Like a bad bug in a pre-school classroom filled with less than hygienic children, the damage these types of hurting humans can do can be far-reaching and fast-spreading. Those kinds of people, God bless them, are like the hecklers in the sports crowd sent to distract from pending victory. They can throw a game plan off course in the worst possible ways.

Here’s the tea…You better get yourself a cheerleader. Cheerleaders do one thing. They cheer. Whether winning or losing they cheer. Whether it’s raining or snowing they cheer. Whether they feel like it or not they cheer. Whether you believe you can have victory or not they cheer. Whether you want to quit or not they cheer. Whether a large crowd or a couple of people they cheer.

Cheerleaders do not ever tell you to come off the field, leave your post, quit your position, question the coach, isolate from the players, forgo the huddle, heckle the fans, shirk the media or dodge practice. They cheer. They don’t try to call plays or interject their “if I was yous”. They cheer. They use words to motivate, stir up, empower and encourage. Why? Because they cheer. They don’t let your fatigue or their own get the best of them. They cheer. They don’t leave their post for a hot dog, nacho and pretzel run. Cheerleaders cheer. That’s all they do. They may say things you don’t want to hear, far more often than you want to hear it or not how you’d prefer hearing it but they cheer. They do their part to keep you in the game, whether you want to be or not, and they hopefully help you win. So I say again, “get yourself a cheerleader”, and if you’re bold enough, wise enough and serious enough you may as well get yourself a whole squad. #rahrah #sisboombahhhh

@AngelaMichele316