I was recently asked by someone who has known me for a very long time: “Why are you so angry?” I was shocked at the question but it led to a good, long conversation. I do get angry, and it has been known to come out in my writing, but I don’t think of it…
Category: oppression
Why We Should Model Respect for our Children
A few nights ago I dreamt that I was back in High School, which really isn’t correct, because I grew up in France and this was clearly an American high school. So I was “back” in high school in the athletics department with a bunch of really ripped and intimidating guys. And they were bullying…
I Am Man
I am man. So hide your goods or I may decide that they are mine. That’s right, I mean your breasts. Hide them. Because if I catch a glimpse of them, who knows what I will do? I am a sexual Hulk, the monster lurks inside me, and once aroused who knows what devastation it…
11 year old Challenges our Cultural Standards of Nudity
“Why can’t girls walk around without their shirts on?” asks my indignant 11 yr old (Lolie) today on our way back from school. I get it: the culture I was brought up in – one of shame in regards to nakedness – taught me that it’s normal for boys to go shirtless, and wrong for…
The REAL mommy wars- exchanging the pretend war to take on the real battles
In our Western context, where we have access to more information than we could possibly process, parenting can be an overwhelming journey. The pressure to do it just right is intense but opinions and even professionals disagree on what constitutes right in the first place. Supposed experts can’t even agree on what equals healthy but…
Chibok list of names, humanity, and when helping hurts
As news comes in today of the rescue of 7 of the girls kidnapped from a school in Chibok, Nigeria, I wonder how many people are looking at the published list of names and wondering what their names are. For those of us in the West, which of those foreign looking collection of letters on…
Mommy, why are you crying- empathy and kidnapped girls
On April 15, 2014, 234 female students were kidnapped by terrorists from a school in Nigeria. Most of them have not escaped, none of them have been rescued. It is believed most have been married off. Their government has done nothing. This is not ok. If these were our daughters how would we want the world…
Cultivating Wonder for a Better Tomorrow
“Why is it that the human mind can sort of grasp ‘forever’ but they can’t grasp ‘infinity’? Aren’t they basically the same thing?” My 12 yr old daughter, who we have affectionately dubbed our “Storyteller” for our online audience, reminds me often about the pure joy of wonder. She asked me this question a couple…
Beyond Entertainment
While Jessica was away, this cat has been watching “The Walking Dead.” Jessica doesn’t do zombies and the whole horror genre in general, so I typically choose to wait until she’s away to indulge in some disturbing entertainment. I had wanted to check it out, and now I’m hooked. It isn’t about the gore and…
How a Radio Flyer wagon helped people in need
A week ago, I jumped in an iconic Radio Flyer wagon and rode to a local park as I participated in a fundraiser aimed at bringing hope and new life to oppressed people around the world. Ok, I didn’t actually ride in the red wagon; my kids did. But I pulled them up and down…