Adrienne Bennett. Rest in Peace, Angel.

Normally I wake up and check my email and Instagram. June the first, I woke up to Instagram telling me that I had lost another friend in the plus-size community. Adrienne Bennett. If you know Adrienne from Instagram you know that she had the motto “no more hiding”. What she gave to the plus-size community was so much more than the message of not hiding.

As I lay there in bed, with my CPAP machine still on me, with every intention of going back to sleep after I checked my social media, tears began to fall. To God I said prayers for Adrienne’s family, friends, and community. Then I asked God why.  Why take someone that was giving so much love and hope to not only the plus-size community but outside of the community as well. Because I am constantly fighting with my own self-worth, I pray to God why am I still here?? Adrienne earned life, she was an earthly angel, and she was making a difference. Why God am I here and she is not. Just another example of how much she impacted us. I’m so mad that I clear my conversations pretty regularly because I wish I had those talks we shared and I could look back at them now. 

I didn’t know “know” Adrienne. I knew her through Instagram. I remember liking her for a long time before I replied to one of her stories. She was so sweet and let me say a lot better about getting back to emails and DM’s than I was. I feel like she seriously gave an entire part of herself to us in her post. Through her affirmations, she begins to show her wisdom and genuine love.  She also was blessed with the sweetest, kindest voice I have ever heard. We can’t forget her smile. When Adrienne smiled, as she did a lot, it felt like actual sunshine surrounded her! 

One of the first times I really took notice was in 2021- where she was talking about intentions to build a habit. A habit that commitment, focus, and doing it over and over to it turns into patterns and then a habit.  You can build a habit that you are always kind to yourself. What a “Massive Change” – post after post Adrienne uses her soft tone, soulful movements, and words to lead us, teach us, and share with us her calm state of mind, her peace with her body, and her inward and outward glow. 

My own personal regret of not sharing with her what a huge difference she had made in my emotional life. Often, she said she appreciated the person she was that day. She also told us to stop waiting for change, and be the change. She told us how to seek peace by creating what we need. She told us often to love the body we have. It is not our bodies at fault but a world that doesn’t make room for our bodies. Wow, just read that last sentence. In one of her last posts before her Ghana content was posted she made a video titled “Deep breath and bubbles.” Two things made me love this simple content that wasn’t so simple at all. Here was a woman of size not afraid to show her body, where she is in life, and the fact that even she has to stop a moment and breath, well was just what I needed. I also went out and bought bubbles because I decided I wanted to just breathe and bubble as well.  

Adrienne had something that not a lot of young people have. In fact, she reminded me so much of my grandmother in the sense that Adrienne would always remind us she was at peace. How that must feel? I have never known that feeling. It must be the secret behind that smile because her smile sure could lighten a dark day and move clouds to make room for the sun.  Our sweet angel of a friend, sleep peacefully, walk with your head high, and enjoy the rejoicing in heaven because one of their angels is home. While we will miss you, your presents will always live on. 

If you have not yet given to the Adrienne Bennett Fund to help her family put her affairs to rest please do so. Death can be so devastating for a family and to add the cost on top of that, well most of us know how that is. Please donate –  every little bit helps.

To Donate, please click HERE.

xoxo, Evie