I have a delightful friend Christina who not only is an amazing individual, she is a very talented, gifted writer, who is the voice of reason, an amazing sense of support and somebody that you always want in your corner. She’s an amazing advocate and ally. I just love her.

She wrote the following below that really needs to be published somewhere. I don’t know where it needs to be published, but it needs to be published and it just absolutely speaks the truth for 3/4 of the women not just in the United States but the world.

My hats off to you, Christina I have such gratitude- knowing you makes me a better person.

Have you seen this whole 17 diapers thing that’s trending on all the social media platforms?

It’s prompted women to tell their stories about their postpartum experiences Most of them are pretty heartbreaking.

My postpartum experiences were pretty awful too. I was completely alone. I had no support. At all. Even after the birth of my second child, during which I nearly died, and suffered a stroke, and had about 100 stitches from birthing a 10lb baby, I cared for my newborn and my 3 year old by myself from the moment I got home from the hospital. I had no village. And the family that was near enough to help had absolutely no interest in doing so, and absolutely no concern for my wellbeing or that of my children.

Women weren’t meant to live like this.

We weren’t meant to be alone and isolated while raising our children. We weren’t meant to work 8 hours outside the home and then also take on all the mental and physical labor or taking care of a home and family. We weren’t meant to bear the weight of everybody’s needs and problems, while having nobody to share ours with. We weren’t meant to beasts of burden who cook and clean and spread our legs on demand, with no emotional intimacy or connection from partners. We weren’t meant to be merely bodies; giving life, satisfying urges, and laboring for the care and comfort of others.

But the fact that we can, we have, we do….

Should tell the world that we are capable of anything. Including, leading this country.

I really didn’t mean to make this political. It was really about my anger and sadness that so many women have just been accessories to the lives of men, exploited but also ignored by societal norms and expectations, and egregiously diminished and demeaned by religion and patriarchy.

But it’s true. You think that spoiled, pampered PIG of a man has ever had to fight for something? Has ever had to keep going when he was exhausted in body, mind and spirit? Has ever had to sacrifice for the well being of another person? Sleep, health, emotional and mental wellness? Do you think he’s ever in his entire life had to put someone else’s needs above his own?

Hell no.

But women do it every day until they’re nearly dead from exhaustion or neglecting their own needs. And they still rise every day to feed their kids, to go to that backbreaking menial job, to cook and clean and balance the budget and worry about doing it all.

And a woman can’t lead this country?

Utter HORSESHIT.

The truth is, men could not survive without us. And they know it. Which is why Patriarchy is designed to beat us down, keep us subservient, and never allow us to realize just how powerful we really are.

But back to 17 diapers…

There’s so much judgment amongst women. That poor 17 diapers Mom got raked over the coals. When there should have been an army of women stepping in to lift her up.

Ladies…this is our era. We are coming into power. We are coming into strength. We are coming into independence. We can do AMAZING things, if we can stop attacking each other. They want us divided because together we are too powerful. So let’s not give them the satisfaction of watching us squabble while they steal away our rights, our autonomy, and our very lives.

If you’re alone and you feel unsupported, unheard and ignored…text me. Message me. Email me.

I’ll be your village. I’ll support you. I’ll hear you. I’ll see you.

And then you be that person for another woman. And so on, and so on.

And pretty soon, 17 diapers will be just a distant memory, and no woman will ever have to go on social media and cry because she’s so desperately alone.

It seems like a fairy tale. But I think we could do it if we tried.

17diapers