I have a brain and a uterus
and I use both.
Patricia Schroeder
“I’m the best cook and baker. I love to clean the kitchen and do the laundry. My husband will be so lucky!” My daughter beams. I squelch the “Yikes!” I feel inside and smooth the wrinkle between my eyebrows. My mom once sported a chic bob with a thriving banking career that helped send 5 children to college. Now she looks like a farmer’s wife with hair as long as the skirt ordained by the fundamentalist religion my dad has adopted since they retired. How innumerable have a woman’s choices grown since the days of illiteracy and candlelight? How few do we consider possible for ourselves anyway? And how strong is our need to tell others what we believe is right for them? All for their own good, of course!
To bring to a close Women’s History Month, I thought I’d pick up on a conversation Betty Friedan started half a century ago in her book “The Feminine Mystique”–which remains relevant despite certain biases in perspective. Staying home has become an option even for men. Women can choose to be single, childless, work, pay someone to have or raise her kids. We may make our own money yet our financial independence remains hostage to the sway of media and commerce that thrive on feeding our fears and insecurities. As for personal fulfillment, who really wants to be that responsible? It’s far more convenient to blame someone or something else for the choices we (don’t) make. So the mystery continues…
Click on “Leave a Comment” (above left) to give a big hug to the teacher or advocate who ignited your power to choose and write your own history.
© Sharon Birke
201 697 1947
PowerfulGoddess@me.com
Glamour Portraits of the Goddess in Every Wife & Mother
xoxox
Powerful Goddess Portraits 
Mar 24, 2013 @ 03:37:01
A picture is worth a thousand words and a few words can paint such a detailed picture!
As I read what you wrote Sharky, your daughter’s comment and your thought, in my head I saw a single pane Sunday morning funnies cartoon, titled, “Sharky’s World”. The two of you in the kitchen, daughter with her apron on (no, not your apron) and her spatula in hand and the bubble with her comment within it and your thought bubble reads…”Yikes!”. You’ve taught your daughter well! 😉
I was so caught up everything you wrote about I almost forgot to look at the photos. When I did, I choose the candles as my favorite for two reasons.The depth of field effect and it reminded me of a gift I had once given and forgotten about.
Mountain
Mar 24, 2013 @ 19:33:05
Funny you should say that, Mountain, because she was actually wearing an apron I bought from Florence–the one with David’s perfectly naked torso up front.
xoxox