After a long bath and cry, Markland ended up venting about it on Facebook. The post yielded overwhelming support from friends and loved ones, many of whom expressed anger toward the anonymous "coward" who mailed her the nasty note.
But Markland still felt nervous a few days later when she had to dress for work the following Monday.
A large part of her wardrobe consists of leggings, but she suddenly felt self-conscious putting on a pair.
"I had to remember, if I walked around defeated and scared, then whoever sent that letter wins. And I wasn't going to let that person win. At all," she said.
© Courtesy Kelley MarklandKelley Markland, a Florida woman was mailed an anonymous letter that mocked her for wearing leggings.
At school, Markland received another surprise, a much more pleasant one: Nearly every one of her colleagues came to work in leggings.
"All the teachers were coming up and hugging me and showing me their leggings," Markland said. "So I knew at that point, it's not about me anymore, it's about all women."
© Courtesy Kelley MarklandCoworkers of Kelley Markland dressed in leggings in support of their friend
Her friend and kindergarten teacher, Cindy Martin, said word spread quickly over the weekend about what had happened after Markland posted it on Facebook.
"The entire staff, we were all just heartbroken for her because she is the nicest, most giving person in the world," Martin said. "And it's not like she ever wears something inappropriate, or like a half shirt with it. She is totally covered and every time she walks around, everyone goes, 'She looks so adorable.' So this was shocking for all of us."
Even parents came to school wearing leggings that day, either while helping in classrooms or when picking up their children in the afternoon.
"We definitely wanted a message out there that we are not going to put up with bullying. We teach this in the classroom all the time," Martin said.
© Courtesy Kelley MarklandKelley Markland, a Florida woman, was mailed an anonymous letter that mocked her for wearing leggings.
Markland said leggings only recently became her go-to item after spending years of trying to hide her curves behind black and dark gray clothing.
After finding a brand of leggings that fit well, looked flattering and felt comfortable, Markland expanded her wardrobe to include more of them. She favored bright colors and bold patterns and soon, she began receiving compliments about what she wore.
"It helped my confidence. It made me feel a little better about myself to where I took more pride in how I dressed," she said.
© Liz Grimes Photography
In addition to getting a boost from her friends and colleagues, Markland continued to receive supportive messages online, including from strangers who told her they had just bought and worn their first pair of leggings in her honor.
"It's been amazing and mind blowing," she said of the response. "It's so inspiring to have other people telling me that what they're doing now is because of this little act of bullying."
It's also made her determined to send a strong message to others in her position, as well as to the person who mailed her the anonymous letter.
© Courtesy Kelley Markland
"I knew I can't hide and act scared because people were counting on me to keep wearing leggings and help them be comfortable with themselves," said Markland, who also is a student pursuing an education degree. "I wanted to help people feel confident, regardless of what they wear."
Markland said she's still disturbed that someone would take time to look up her address and mail her such a hateful note, but a small part of her actually wants to thank the individual.
"Only because they started a positive movement by sending me that letter," she said. "Their intention was for me to feel bad and stop wearing leggings. Instead, women all over will gain more confidence."
source : TODAY (http://www.today.com/)
Related keywords : friend and kindergarten teacher, mcdonald's, cindy martin, facebook, kelley markland, florida, substitute teacher
0 Comments