mbraaheidner

The authentic female has been plundered by men and replaced by a prescribed female who only exists through her dependence on him, through the roles of wife, mother, sex worker, stripper and so on. Not only did men physically enslave women by taking away their physical freedom, he also mentally and emotionally enslaved her by taking away her authentic self, her identity that exists independent of him. This theft of the authentic female has caused an imbalance internally within all humanity and externally in our world. Consequently, the authentic female and her offer of a more holistic and nurturing way of living is missing and sorely needed. The emptiness where her energy should have been is apparent throughout patriarchal history and is palpable now, in the devastation to all living creatures including Mother Earth. As a woman, I know this empty place intimately; it is my constant companion. This is why I run, this is why I take care of others, this is why I do not allow myself to stop for one moment. If I stop, if I slow down, if I allow myself to be vulnerable, let down my guard, I can feel my own and the collective despair of millions of women. In that emptiness, I feel the loss of who I could have been, for the empowerment that was stolen from me, the longing for my authentic self. As a woman, this is what I struggle with every day, every hour, every minute and this is what matters.