I have been told many times in my life that I am not a strong woman (by other women). Sadly, these were for varied and crazy reasons - when I was going back to school when my first marriage was rocky and I was thinking of my future, I was told that wasn't strong, it was selfish. When I raised my daughter alone, while working and attending school full-time, I wasn't paying enough attention to my daughter. When my photography business closed and I moved on to freelance work instead, I was a failure. When I came out, I was in a phase (it's been a long phase) and was told I'd eventually go back to men because I needed a man. When I have pressed on through seven years of creative endeavors (and admitted failures/endings) until I found the one that was right, I was flighty and again, a failure who'd never amount to anything. When things get difficult - as life does - I'm too sensitive. When we decided to travel and homeschool, I was a shitty parent for not giving my kid a "normal" life. What the women who've boxed me into don't seem to see...is that for my entire adult life, no matter what shit I'm handed (and there's been a load of it), while I do sometimes hurt, and cry, and stress, and worry over it - it has never stopped me from carrying on. I have never not tried again. I have NEVER stopped striving - leading me to where I am today and the work I am doing. I believe that is a mark of a strong woman. What we need most, ladies, if we're going to get anywhere, personally, in our real life circles, as a movement - is EACH OTHER. We need to stop picking and breaking one another apart. Quit calling names. Stop boxing each other into roles. Stop fucking competing and come alongside one another. Be a friend. Understand. Have compassion. Embrace imperfection and mess - not just in others, but ourselves. I'm thankful for the women in my life who have been this for me - starting with my beautiful, strong, capable wife - who accepts me as I am, struggle and all. I want nothing more than to be this for other women, and really - just think about the spark that would ignite - if we began to do this for one another...the unified strength we'd have if we lifted one another up.

birchandpineさん(@birchandpine)が投稿した動画 - 2017/03/09 09:21:26