Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 32 –
“The Mother-Wound is the emotional trauma and distress experienced by someone of any gender, when that part of society that has lived their lives small tries to shape the lives of others with rules and rigid roles, so they continue the cycle. And pack their wings up before they’ve even learned how to fly.”
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 28 – Temper. My Friend. You keep me safe when the load gets too heavy and they won’t give me a break.
Speaking out calmly and assertively when there’s pushback is always a risk. Now, it was a risk she was willing to take. A risk she was angry enough to take.
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 27 – It’s cuddly dog and happy face and we have to look our best, hair always neat and in place. Skirt around what’s going down because talking like it’s okay can turn things around.
This chapter was inspired by a wonderful book on positivity – ‘I’m OK – You’re OK’ by Thomas A Harris, MD.
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 25 – They wanted their stuff. And their ideas. Even if they didn’t work anymore because life and lifestyles had changed so much.
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 24 – Microwave Madam learns new skills.
Practising. Some steps forward. Pushback. . .
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 8 – Growing old doesn’t have to mean losing oneself. MM’s mother would realize this, and rebuild her life differently from her elders. And teach MM about self-reliance and independence in the only way that really works when parents want to teach something to their children. By being an example.
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 5 – And because of the glorification of the mother that was so much a part of her family culture, she would feel deep guilt and self-recrimination. She would forget that being a mother doesn’t raise one to God-like perfection and take away one’s humanity – one’s fallibility.
Exploring Patriarchy Chapter 3 – Gender equality within the larger family was another story. There differences with food and a hierarchy that decided who got offered the best. She was last on the list – a woman in a family where men ranked first, as well as a woman new to the family.
the relaxed housekeeper 