Little Miss has helped me and continues to help me every day. As the days go by, I come across new obstacles and new struggles, and I can always listen to Little Miss to remind myself that it’ll be okay. The Little Miss Project really opened up the fact that no one is alone. There is always someone in the world that feels the same as you do even if you think there isn’t.
The last thing we created was a book to represent this project, but I feel like there are so many more stories out there that people should have the opportunity to share. My proposal is that we keep sharing our stories.
With the original video in mind, please email me two photos. One of the photos is your story. You can write it (as one sentence) on a piece of paper and hold it, or get as creative as you would like. The second photo will include the part of the song that makes you feel better. (It’ll be alright again, sometimes you gotta lose ‘til you win, I’m okay, you are loved)
Depending on how many we get, I would like to try and post a new photo to the Blog, Facebook, and Twitter every day. If it starts off slow, I’ll probably break it up to a few a week, or every other day.
I will start by posting my photo tomorrow. I hope you will join me! =)
Please send your photos or any questions you have to littlemissproject@gmail.com.
With your permission, I will use your first name when posting the photos. If you would like to remain anonymous, just state so in the email.
After all the anticipation, The Little Miss Project Book is finally HERE!
It is 7×7 inches. The price is $36.95 which includes a $5.00 donation to one of Sugarland’s favorite charities. (We will figure out one once we have accumulated a sum of money.) I will keep everyone updated on the Facebook page on how much money we have raised.
THAT’S NOT ALL!
Be one of the first 25 people that buy a book by forwarding me your email order confirmation, and you will be entered to win a pair of Custom Converse Chuck Taylors by MAG from Punk Your Chucks!
MAG will create a special, “Little Miss” inspired shoe valued at $300.00! He is donating his time and artwork just for The Little Miss Project! The shoes will take approximately 3 months as he is backed up, but I think this will most definitely be worth the wait!
Forward me your order confirmation & shoe size to littlemissproject@gmail.com
I will reply to your email and let you know if you are one of the first 25!
As of January 25th at 2:15pm CST, we have 17 order confirmations.
We have sold 29 books and raised $145 so far!
The books will take anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks to ship. You can choose the shipping when you checkout.
Thank you, EVERYONE! I can’t say it enough.
I really hope you enjoy this book!
Erica
P.s. The preview below is only a sample preview. The actual book is 74 pages!
Hi! My name is Meghan. I live in Maryland. I don’t have a blog and every time I try to start a video, I can’t seem to be able to finish it. The story below will probably show why.
I’ve been struggling with how to tell my story for awhile now. I’ve even been crying since starting to write this. This song has come to mean so much to this past year that tears still form when I hear it. That and this story begins well over a year ago.
My mom was diagnosed with cancer in May of 2010. After a long surgery she was in remission. To celebrate, my aunt, mom, & I did our dream trip to the CMA Fest in Nashville. Right after Christmas, mom said something just didn’t feel right. In early January, my mom was told that the cancer came back and was more aggressive. She underwent one treatment, was devastated losing her hair, but was determined to keep fighting. Then major complications arose after a fall and treatment just wasn’t possible for several weeks giving the cancer time to grow quickly. Mom fought hard with my dad, brother & myself at her side everyday, but passed away just after Mother’s Day.
I was devastated. My mom was more than a parent, she was a mentor, my best friend, & my biggest supporter in everything I’ve ever done. You’re never truly prepared to deal with such a hard loss no matter how much you try and how long you know you have.
I had first listened to Little Miss on the drive from work to the hospital one day. I was feeling rather upset that day and didn’t really have much of a reason. I had listened to the Incredible Machine many times before, but before Little Miss didn’t have the same meaning. When it got to the line, “Little miss I’ll get tough don’t you worry about me anymore,” it grabbed my attention because that’s what mom had been saying since we found out about the cancer and something she was trying to say in not so many words before she passed. When it got to, “Sometimes you gotta lose ’till you win,” the tears flowed and didn’t stop. I just had to listen to it again and again. I must have listened to it a dozen times that day.
My mom, brother, & I were planning on seeing Sugarland in Columbia, MD in May. Mom really loved Sugarland and she said how much she wanted to meet Jennifer but we could never seem to win one of those infamous Meet & Greets. She passed about a week before the concert so it was the first thing we had really done since everything happened, My friend and my brother’s friend came with us instead. My friend & I were in the Sugarpit and were having a great time and I heard the beginning of Little Miss. I froze and just watched Jennifer start to sing. By the time that she got “It’ll be alright again” I was sobbing. Thank goodness I had my friend there and everyone in the pit started supporting me even though I didn’t know any of them. It just hit me like a brick. Like it says, “sometimes you gotta lose till you win,” but no matter what, “you are loved.” I know my mom still loves me no matter where she is and when I need to remember, I just put on Little Miss to remind me that “it’ll be alright again.”
There are still a few Little Miss stories to go, but we want to keep them coming! See how you can be a part of the next step here: The Little Miss Project Book
Brianna writes about how Sugarland holds a special place in her heart, and has even written a song for them. And if you haven’t seen it yet, she wrote a BEAUTIFUL poem about the tragedy in Indiana. (See below)
As I am writing this to you, I am listening to ‘Little Miss,’ and I can’t help but think about how many times I’ve listened to this song, and how I seem to learn something new every time I let the melody ring within me. That’s one of my favorite things about Sugarland and their music; I learn something new about myself every time I play one of their songs.
My name is Brianna and I am a senior at Illinois State University double majoring in graphic design and arts technology. I’ve thought for so long about what to write and how to write it, and I’ve chickened out every time from fear of letting out my secret. I grew confidence in seeing other people’s stories, so to anyone who has submitted a LMP story, thanks! =)
In the summer of 2008, I attended summer school at ISU, and lived in a dorm room all to myself. Not many students take summer classes, so the campus was practically empty. Everyday I went to class for a few hours, came home, and did my homework. I started writing poetry about various things that had happened to me in high school, because I was holding onto grudges sometimes, and I found that poetry helped me let go of the past. Those poems soon turned into songs, and for the entire summer, I went to class, came home and did homework, and wrote songs. Every day. Since 2008, I have written almost one hundred songs (92 to be exact), but I have yet to tell a single person about my dream of being a songwriter, until now that it is.
Three years is a long time to keep a secret, and throughout these past three years I’ve had days where I want to give up on this dream and stop trying to figure out ways to accomplish it, because in reality, I know the chance is one in a million, but I can’t help but feel like I’ll regret it later if I don’t try now. It’s hard trying to live out your dream when it’s a secret that you’re trying to keep to yourself.
So, this story brings me to Sugarland. Jennifer and Kristian are my absolute two favorite people in the entire world. I went to their concert in Bloomington, IL and when they first opened and I saw them and felt their energy, I couldn’t help but be completely consumed by their words and music. I’m heading to the Rockford, IL show next, and I can bet that it will only be another awe-inspiring experience. I admire their energy, their willingness to push the boundaries and to try new things, and their astounding vocal and instrumental abilities. What I love about them the most is how they seem to write a song about every single emotion or experience that I have been through. They have a song for me to dance to and a song for me to cry to, and several that fit in between. When I have had a bad day, the first thing I do is turn on Sugarland, and it somehow puts everything back into perspective. It fixes me; it takes all of the little broken parts and puts them back into a whole again.
I have adopted the infamous Sugarland heart symbol into my life. I believe that Jennifer and Kristian have a different kind of heart. They have this inescapable ability to take all of the stories from those who adore them (us fans), and put them into songs, and share them with us. They see who we are without really knowing us, they feel what we feel, and they open their hearts and let us in, and I hope that we as fans do the same for them. I feel as though I am finally ready to openly start to achieve this dream. I think it’s time. Sugarland’s lyrics have taught me well, and the song Little Miss in particular will continue to strengthen me and teach me new lessons everyday. That little heart with two wings means more to me than anything in the world, and Little Miss epitomizes me to my core. If there is one thing that I have learned from Jennifer and Kristian, and the anthems that they sing, it is to let your heart fly. Let it take you to new heights, to different places, on a journey that makes you who you are. I’ve written a song to Jennifer and Kristian called ‘Sugarland Heart.’ It’s a song filled with words that I would say to them if I could ever meet them. It’s about what they’ve taught me, and all that they mean to me, and what that little heart with two wings will continue to do for me. That Sugarland Heart is simply amazing.
The song:
The lyrics:
The words, you sing
They invade my soul, like you’ll never know
When I feel, so gone
I turn on your music and it proves me wrong
And I know that I’m loved, that I’ll somehow get up
From the place I’m in
You’re slowly teaching me how to smile again.
Because when I’m searching, to find my soul
You take all the parts, bring them back to a whole
When I’m broken you fix me
Tell me that it’s alright.
When I feel like the ends coming near
Your music’s like lending an ear
Helping my troubled soul find its way through the dark,
With your Sugarland heart.
My name’s, little miss
And I cry at night, hiding behind
My secret, dreams
That I silently wonder if I’ll ever achieve
But you know what it’s like, to spend your whole life
Trying to please everyone but yourself
I’m slowly getting stronger with little miss’ help.
Because when I’m searching, to find my soul
You take all the parts, bring them back to a whole
When I’m broken you fix me
Tell me that it’s alright.
When I feel like the ends coming near
Your music’s like lending an ear
Helping my troubled soul find its way through the dark,
With your Sugarland heart.
Not pretty enough, never been in love
Too scared to speak my mind.
But with Sugarland’s heart, I’m beginning to start
To learn how to shine my light.
Because when I’m searching, to find my soul
You take all the parts, bring them back to a whole
When I’m broken you fix me
Tell me that it’s alright.
When I feel like the ends coming near
Your music’s like lending an ear
Helping my troubled soul find its way through the dark,
With your Sugarland heart.
Brianna also wrote an incredible poem about the tragedy in Indiana. Absolutely beautiful.
One little heart, two little wings
A symbol of love, that strongly sings
Of raising your voice, when the darkness falls
Of lighting the fire, to be felt by all.
Seven angels fly, above overhead
Tears fall from the eyes, of the ones that were left
They pray for the strength, to get through every day
But even when it’s sunny, the sky feels gray.
The grieving is hard, the healing is rough
But you’ll make it through, surrounded by love
Shed all your tears, like rain to the ground
Because come one day, it will all turn around.
The haze it will lift, the sky it will clear
The anger subsides, and so do the tears
It’s not always easy, but you’ll make it through,
Because we see the strength, you don’t see in you.
One little heart, two little wings
A symbol of love, it strongly sings
Of raising your voice, when the darkness falls
Of lighting the fire to be felt by all.
Hi my name is Mallory, I’m fourteen and I live in Indiana,
I started listening to Sugarland in 2008 when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I’ve always listened to country music my whole life listening to Shania Twain and Faith Hill. I remember when I heard “Baby Girl” for the first time on the radio. I was immediately perked up I instantly fell in love with “Dear Mom and Dad” what I used to call it! I was in first grade when Sugarland released “Baby Girl” in 2004! Everyone remembers “Stay” from “Enjoy the Ride” the 2007 Song of the Year! I’m not sure if I watched it or not, I was in 4th grade at the time. In 6th grade the obsession began, “All I Want to do” was so catchy and I was singing it a lot. I quickly purchased “Love on the Inside,” and “Twice the Speed of Life.” I listened to “Love on the Inside” every day! My favorite song was “It Happens.”
Whenever I needed motivation during this time I’d listen to “It Happens.” That was my song for about a year. My favorite part of this song is the chorus, “Ain’t no rhyme or reason no complicated meaning Ain’t no need to over think it, let go laughing! Your life don’t go quite like you planned it we try so hard to understand it. The irrefutable, indisputable, fact is it happens!” This tells us all when life doesn’t go as planned all you need to do is let go laughing! Laughing is amazing! In the booklet for “Love on the Inside” it says “Life is short. We are reminded not to take ourselves too seriously. Some days we can just take a step to the side and let go laughing.” I have a post note saying this on my bedroom door and by my computer.
2008 was the worst year of my life, and Sugarland was my shining light during this time. My mom was so fragile and sick all the time I couldn’t bare it. Nights after school I’d lock myself in my room with my Sugarland CD’s and sing my heart out. That’s what made me feel better! I sang and sang all the time. It made me feel better; when I sang “It Happens” I always had a smile on my face.
I picked up “Enjoy The Ride” one afternoon at Target and I fell in love with “Everyday America” that was my favorite song it described my community that I live in. “Joey stares at a trophy he took us all the way to state back in ’85. A shining moment and a dusty reminder, he never felt so scared he never felt so alive.” It reminds me of our sports team success at our high school. Our football team won state championship in ’84 and girl’s basketball state runner up in ’08 and ’09. The whole message to this song is so relatable.
July 23, 2010 was when my song changed. I switched my favorite song from “Everyday America” to “Stuck Like Glue” I was so excited for “The Incredible Machine” to come out in October. I was literally counting down the days! When the music video came out I immediately bought it, I’m so glad I did! One of the best music videos I’ve seen. Jennifer is now a crazy stalker lady, but we all love her anyway. (:
On August 20, 2010 I traveled to our state’s capital (Indianapolis) singing every Sugarland song on the way. Why? My best friend and I were going to see them in concert! Best day of my life, and all the stress was gone for awhile. I sang my heart out in the grandstand and was so excited to see Jennifer & Kristian in person! And of course Little Big Town opened the show; I’ve always liked their music too which made it even more fun!
That night I heard several new songs from the album, but the one that stuck out to me the most was “Incredible Machine.” This later defined the whole CD for me. That night opened my eyes.
Once I got home from Indianapolis my focus went back on my mom. Struggling still, and this broke my heart. I never talked about this to hardly anyone. Just a select few Aunt April, Natalie, and Rachel. Not many understood and every time all I got from someone was “I’m sorry.” This didn’t help me at all.
October 19th arrived and I heard “Little Miss” for the first time and I cried. “It’ll be alright again, I’m okay.” I often said “I’m okay,” or “It’ll be alright.” That song is relatable for anyone! I recommend it all the time to everyone I meet. If you’re my facebook friend you hear about Sugarland daily. The most important message in this song is that you are loved! This is just the beginning of my Sugarland journey, many more stories, laughter, and smiles are to come.
Thank you for shining down on me, Jennifer and Kristian.
Katie talks about living with Turner’s Syndrome and getting through her parents divorce with a little help from Sugarland and “Little Miss.”
Hi my name is Katie Oliver, this is why I’m a Little Miss….
When I was 5 years old my mom realized something was wrong with me. I wasn’t growing and my hearing was abnormal. She tried and tried to tell the doctor that something was wrong. He looked at my records and too realized something wasn’t right. I was sent to see another doctor 3 hours away in Columbus where they did a genetic test. It was then I was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects only girls. Girls with Turners are missing a chromosome. It throws our development off and causes complications with our hearts (we are at risk for aortic dissection and defects.), kidneys ( some girls are born with horse shoe shaped kidneys or other complications), our ears ( hearing loss, infections), etc.
Once I was diagnosed , I underwent more tests. One was a hearing test, which I failed. Upon discovering I was hearing impaired I became the proud owner of my first pair of hearing aides. Since then I have had numerous surgeries on my ears to correct my hearing or fix problems. My most recent was last April, I had an implant inserted to hold a cochlear hearing aide.The cochlear was reccomended after the previous surgery had failed. I got the hearing aide in June,just 2 months after surgery. I have noticed a huge diffrence in my hearing after getting it!
We thought i was lucky to escape the major complications other than hearing loss, until I underwent an MRI to check for the heart complications that come with TS just weeks before my high school graduation! I was strapped to the bed for 2 hours, I could not move, i had an IV that was not making anything better ( I found out what the IV was for towards the end when they shot a freezing cold liquid through it. I could feel it going through me. weirdest feeling EVER! bbbrrrrrr!). the test was done and as walked past the room my mom and the doctor were talking in, the look on my Mama’s face said it all. I was taken to a room where my IV was removed and they took my vitals again and again. My mom and the doctor were standing there but I was kept in the dark. We just kept watching the numbers and lines on the monitors. There was nothing but silence and occasional beeps. they took the monitors off, I changed, and my mom and went out to the waiting room. I finally got the knot out of my throat and asked her what was wrong… She told me the news… the doctor had found defects. I started to cry. My mom just held me there. I was so scared.
We were called back again and the cardiologist that viewed my scans went over the results with me. I had a kink in my artery (it’s shaped like an hour glass!) and I had a bicuspid valve (two of my valves are fused together). he wanted to see us in his office as soon as possible. he wanted to do an ultrasound of my heart to see how hard it had to work to get blood through the kink in my artery. if it was working hard enough i would need surgery to put a stint in to open the kink (g.r.e.a.t). Mom and I went and got coffee, made phone calls , talked about the results ,and then headed up to the Cardiology Dept. of Akron Childrens Hosp. where we waited for more than an hour. I was finally called back, I laid on the table, watched Shrek… my heart was fine! Thank goodness! I am going to have another MRI in the next few months. Surgery is still a possibility if the results show the kink has gotten bigger.
My life is filled with doctors appt. after doctors appt. i see 3 diffrent Doctors. a cardiologist, an Otolarynologis (ear, nose, and throat doctor), and an Endocrinologist ( growth and other stuff). I was put on growth hormone shots when i was little and have been off of them since I was 12, so I am short for my age (I’m 21 and 4’10″) Thats one reason to call myself “Little Miss” right?
On top of my TS and everything, My parents divorced when I was 10 and there was a time my dad wanted nothing to do with My brother, sister, and I. He would call and tell us he was coming to get us for the weekend, Friday would rule around, we would have our bag packed. He would call and say forget it, Leaving a 12, 10, and 8 year old to wonder what they did wrong. My dad remarried and my stepmom got sick. She passed away from cancer in Dec. 2004. He remarried again and we added a 4th child to the mix! my newly adopted brother Adam ( My new stepmoms son). My relationship with my dad is better but I’m still trying to heal.
The first time I heard “Little Miss” I felt Jennifer was singing about me. the lines “I’ll get tough don’t you worry about me anymore” reminds me of all the tests I’ve been through, medical and emotional. “Little miss big ole heart beats wide open, she’s ready now for love ” Reminds me of healing my relationship with my daddy! The road to getting to where we are now, the point i felt accepted and loved again like a daughter should by her father. But I know he loves me. He’s my dad! I still can’t forgive him though. “It’ll be alright again, I’m ok.” makes me realize that i am going to be ok. whatever comes my way, whether it’s a doctors visit or whatever, I know ” I’m ok” and ” it’ll be alright again” .
Jennifer’s voice is so soothing in Little Miss and Kristian joining in on the reassurance makes it so special. They are amazing! Love you sooo much Sugarland!
Click HERE to find out how YOU can be a part of The Little Miss Project Book!
Well, it’s here! We are finally taking submissions for The Little Miss Project Book! I’m incredibly excited!
This idea has been brewing in my head for months and there are still some things I need to figure out but I thought it would be great if we could at least start putting the book together! Once we have everyone’s submissions and it’s all put together, we will try to spread the word and maybe get some sponsors and donations. We’re still researching on places to have these books made. We’re looking for the most affordable company or possibly ones that will give us a deal for a good cause. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!
Here is what we need from you for the book:
1. Your “Little Miss” story in one sentence or less. For example, if you were in the original Little Miss Project video or you were participating in the Little Miss Project LIVE, what would your sign say? You can send us your one sentence story or maybe you want to take a photo of yourself holding up your sign. Get as creative as you’d like. Let us know if you have any questions! You may remain anonymous (just let us know in the email you send us) or you may put your first name and last initial with the city & state you’re from!
2. If you don’t have a story, maybe you’re creative and would like to send us a Little Miss inspired piece of artwork. These can be paintings, drawings, photography, whatever you would like! Please include your first and last name with these so we can give you proper credit!
3. We’re also looking for lots of pictures from any Little Miss Project LIVE! I know there are lots out there! Send us high quality photos so they will work well in the book! Please include the city the show was in, and again, your first & last name so we can give you proper credit!
You may do one or all three of the options above! Please send your submissions to littlemissproject@gmail.com with subject: “Little Miss Project Book Submission.”
The deadline for these book submissions will be Wednesday, September 14th.
Please help spread the word by telling your friends & share the link to this blog on your Facebook. We want as many people as we can possibly fit in this book! (Hence, the one line stories.)
Again, if you have ANY questions, we’re here to answer them!
Thank you! We can’t wait to start putting this together!
I was fortunate enough to be apart of this truly AMAZING night. I got to meet a bunch of incredible fans including Jen & Jessica who produced the BIGGEST LMP LIVE, yet! (Says Jennifer Nettles: see facebook link for video below!) Way to go girls! I still look back and recap this night over and over. Here is the day/night through Jen’s view.
After taking the Little Miss Project LIVE for the first time in Grand Rapids, I was determined to make Sugarlands return visit to Michigan even better! Planning for the LMP Live ion Detroit started right after the Grand Rapids show in March. My friend Jessica and I were on a mission to make it the largest one that Jennifer & Kristian have seen on the tour. We got packs of cardstock and started writing the lyrics on one side of all the signs…You Are Loved. It’ll Be Alright Again. I’m Okay. Sometimes You Gotta Lose Til You Win. Before we knew it we had over 500 premade lyric signs made and our excitement was taken to a whole new level. Jessica even took it a step further and created instruction sheets to go with the signs that explained what we were trying to do and when to hold up the signs. As the show drew closer, we decided that we would have a preshow LMP prep/sugarparty the night before the show. That Friday Jessica Sulkowski, Jessica Wood and I got to work spray painting LMP Live banners! I was already bringing my Sugarland beer pong table to use as LMP central and so I built an extension to hold our banner from! The day of the show we packed up the car and headed to DTE for the show…bright and early at 8am! Unfortunately upon arrival security told us we were way to early so we went across the street and met up in a parking lot with Chelsea, Taylor, Jon and Mike. After spray painting our LOVE flag we got to work signing the LMP LIVE banner that we made the night before. Since this song and the LMP has had such a huge impact on me I knew that I had to do something to show Jennifer & Kristian how much they mean to me. We all wrote messages to Jennifer & Kristian and around 1pm we headed back to DTE and were pumped to get the word out on the project. Upon arriving back we met up with Holly,Erika,Sarah, Stephanie, Karen, Amy, Maria & Erica!! It was an awesome moment to finally meet Erica! They all signed the banner as well and then we proudly displayed the banner and had a Sugarland dance party in the parking lot. We caught a few people who got there early and got them hooked up with signs and the DJ’s from the radio stations came over and took pictures of it all…and then put the pictures on their websites
Once the sugarpass sugarpit line was let in to the venue it was operation LMP LIVE! Jessica Wood, Jessica Sulkowski and I were on a mission to get our signs in to the hands of as many people as possible. As the general public entered the pit we gave them all signs and we literally started walking the pavillion and talking to as many people as we could! People were very responsive! One gentleman even got on his phone and pulled up the original LMP video and said “wow what you girls did is amazing”. We also ran in to Casey, who was at the Grand Rapids show when we took it LIVE the first time and he was a HUGE help in passing out the signs. He would grab a stack and within minutes would be out! Within a matter of what seemed like minutes all 600 of our premade signs were passed out! I was in shock. It helped that it was hot and the signs were doubling as fans We had done what we could to spread the word.
This is when i started getting nervous for meet and greet. Jennifer & Kristian entered the area and I dont think the smile left my face the whole time. I had in my hand the banner that we had all signed and Whitney so kindly let me go last so that I could show/give it to them. It was my turn to meet them and Jennifer asked me what was in my hand so i explained about being the first to take it live their first time in Grand Rapids and how we had gone to great lengths to make sure their return trip to Michigan was even bigger and wanted them to have something to remember it by. Kristian said with wet eyes “You don’k know how much this means to us” So we took the picture with the banner and i said what I could get out without crying to them. It was incredible!
The show seemed to fly by and before I knew it the first note of Little Miss played. My heart started racing and I was praying that everyone would hold up the signs that we had passed out I couldnt brign myself to turn around to look right away .I could see that everyone in the pit was holding theirs up. Jennifer started singing and walking from her side and Kristian grabs his mic and starts to walk towards Jennifer. It wasn’t until Jenn got to center stage that I really saw her reaction and noticed that both her and Kristian seemed to have tears in their eyes. It was at this moment that I turned around and the pavillion was covered in white signs! I couldn’t believe it! I immediately started crying! We did it!! I can’t even put in to words how amazing this moment was. To look out and see signs all over the pavillion from the back to the front was incredible! There was a lot of eye contact made with J & K! At one point I said “we did it” and Jenn said “Yes! Love it!” Again..cue the waterworks! The song was drawing to a close and she sang out “She’s ready now for love” and looked right at me and nodded! Throughout the song the smiles on their faces said it all! Through out the entire song you could tell that they could feel what we were feeling! To be able to give back a little of what they have given me was awesome! At the end of the song Jenn said that it was beautiful and the largest one that they have seen!!!! It was a surreal moment! To have Erica there, the person who put the project together made it that much more special! Hope we did you proud E!
Leaving the venue we saw a lot of people carrying their signs out with them. I even had a friend who has never seen Sugarland live say to me….” everyone around me was in tears during Little Miss including me. That was awesome. I get why this band means so much to you. You should be so proud of what you guys did tonight”
This was by far my perfect “tonight”! Experiencing moments that we will never forget with amazing people that have been brought in to my life because of the music! I am so thankful to everyone who participated and helped make this night the most amazing night of my life! Being a part of the original LMP and then a part of the original LIVE group has forever changed my life!! Words can’t express how grateful I am to you guys, especially Jessica, Jessica, Maria, Sarah, Chelsea, Holly and of course Erica. The music and this project saved me from myself.
I’ve attached some pictures as well
This video includes Jennifers commments and her recognizing Erica
How Sugarland and “Little Miss” helped Rachel hang on and keep going. I don’t know about you guys but this song still touches me the same way it did the first time I heard it. It’s been such a blessing to get to help share your stories with the world. Thank you so, so much. You’ll never know how much it means to me. -Erica
Before I start, I want to say that I’ve been struggling with writing my Little Miss blog for awhile, not knowing what to say and how to say it, and how much to say. I’m still not sure this will come out right and it may end up a jumbled mess; but at this point, I’ve decided that I just want to put my thoughts out there, regardless of the result. Thanks Erica for the opportunity
“Little Miss I’ll get tough, don’t you worry about me anymore”. If there was ever a song lyric that described my life to a T (besides “You might win this round, but you can’t keep me down) – this is it. I was born with a health condition that has thrown a lot of ups and downs at me. The latest, due to a lifestyle change; has been quite a long haul – but thankfully, things seem to be (slowly) getting better. The first time I heard “Little Miss”, I wasn’t thinking of how I related to it. But overtime, I realized how much the song described me, afore mentioned lyric in particular. There have been days throughout this ordeal that have been very stressful, more emotionally than anything else. There have been times when I have wondered if things were ever going to get better because setbacks kept happening. One of the things other than my faith that has helped me through it all (and kept me sane; to be perfectly honest) has been Sugarland and their music. I know that no matter what I am going through; or what the situation is, at the end of the day, I can always count on Jennifer and Kristian to help me forget it all. I can put the music on and their voices calm me down instantly. I have never been in a situation where they have not been of some sort of therapy. There are days where I don’t know what I would do without them. I know that life will be different thanks to this issue, and I have had my days where I get down about things. But I also know that even though it will take time; “sometimes you gotta lose ’till you win”, “I’m ok”; and that “it’ll be alright again” I’ve always known that, but somehow it took hearing “Little Miss” for me to really grasp it. And I needed to hear it.
One more thing – Jennifer and Kristian, I don’t know if you will get to/have a chance to read this, but I want to say something that I have wanted to say to you both for awhile now. THANK YOU for everything. Thank you for the music. Thank you for the memories of your live shows and the meet and greets. Thank you for giving me a million more reasons to laugh every single day. Thank you for always putting a smile on my face, no matter what. But most of all, thank you for being there for me, even if you don’t realize it. I cannot stress enough how much the two of you have changed my life. I want you to know that you are one of the biggest blessings in disguise to ever come into my life. I don’t know if I will ever get the chance to tell you this in person, so I am taking the chance to tell you now. You have a very special place in my heart that no one and nothing will ever be able to replace. Thank you for being you – I love ya! ~♥~
Megan talks about her night in Scranton and rocking The Little Miss Project LIVE all by herself. This story gave me chills just thinking about how powerful it was of her to stand there, alone, showing her story to the world. You did a great thing, Megan, and there are so many people out there praising and clapping for you right now for being SO BRAVE! This hard time WILL pass and it WILL be alright again. It’s definitely not a bad thing feeling so connected to Sugarland. There are lots of us out here who feel the exact same way. I never question it. I just remember the happiness and excitement they’ve brought to my life and how looking back, I don’t know where I’d be without them. It’s a good, GOOD thing! Here’s Megan’s story… (video link below)
My friend and I drove 5 hours yesterday to Scranton, Pa to see Sugarland-I got to meet them, which I’m still so amazed at…it went so, so fast though, we barely got to say “hi” to them, the people running it were rushing everyone so bad, but I managed to give Jennifer a letter I wrote so that was okay.
I actually wasn’t planning on holding up a sign…this week has been so crazy stressful and I didn’t have time to grab signs or markers, but before I left for the concert I put my sign from Pittsburgh into my bag, just in case. Then, when I heard the first chords of Little Miss, I took out my sign and held it up without really thinking about it…I was the only one with a sign. (My sign says “Survived abuse and rape” and “Little Miss brand new start”.) It was overwhelming, painful, powerful…made me feel like I actually had a voice, for a minute. Jennifer pointed at me when she sang “it’ll be alright again”. And then the front part of my sign, abuse and rape, was on the big screen, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe…people in the pit all turned around to look at me, and some were taking pictures, and I wanted to stop holding it up because I was so ashamed, I wasn’t ready for admitting what’s happened to me like I thought I was…it wasn’t like Pittsburgh, because at Pittsburgh I wasn’t holding up a sign all by myself…but then I looked up at Jennifer and Kristian and they were singing with all their hearts, and I thought about all the brave Little Misses all over the country that have held their signs high, and I realized I COULD do it. I focused on them, and on the words, and I was shaking but I was okay. When I flipped the sign to the “little miss brand new start” and it got on the big screen again, everyone around me cheered. That felt kind of good. And then when it was over I was thinking, maybe there was someone, even if it was just one person, that saw that I kept my sign up even though I was terrified and almost crying, and maybe they can admit what happened to them, too. If that makes any sense. The most powerful moment for me was when Jennifer sang “you are loved”…I so badly need to hear that, especially right now. I wanted more than anything to just hug her and hear her say that to me…sorry, that’s probably weird. She was saying that to me anyway, in a way.
I feel really down today. Yesterday was so emotional for me…meeting them, and Little Miss, and knowing that Jennifer and Kristian probably have read my letter by now…I’m just so drained, and so sad. I don’t want to have a sign that says “survived abuse and rape”. It’s not fair. I’m so terribly alone right now. Yes, I have the Little Miss Project and Sugarland, but you all aren’t HERE. I’ve been crying all day on and off. I just want someone sitting here with me. My heart is breaking and I don’t have anyone that I can call and say, please, it hurts too much. You know I don’t even know the names of the guys that raped me? And they get to go on and live their lives and I’m stuck in that night, I’m stuck in hell, and maybe I get a few moments where I feel strong, like last night, but it doesn’t last. I hold on to Sugarland’s music and two people that basically don’t even know I exist and somehow it’s been enough and I don’t understand WHY. It scares me how much Sugarland means to me. I just wish I had that same feeling with someone, anyone, in “real life”. I’m just so lost and sad.
