Women in the Garden

Reader Contribution by Darby Weaver and Sun Dog Farm
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As human beings we are all confronted, at times, with someone questioning our worth.  This can come from all aspects of our experience and often times it is happening in more parts of our lives than just one-whether it is our value at our jobs, our role in our family dynamic, the expectations of a partner, or a myriad of other complex societal demands that have us questioning ourselves over what it is we truly bring to the table.  It is the nature of the Universe to ebb and flow, to build something beyond capacity until it is forced to organize a different way, and often we are called to stand up for ourselves in the face of several fronts of doubt. As a woman, I have been coached to shoulder the burden of people’s limited expectations of me and have always been advised to seek the approval or validation from a more qualified man.

It is difficult to stand apart from people’s ideas about who and what you are and at times it has felt nearly impossible to cultivate a sturdy sense of self in the face of so much evaluation.  In our modern, industrialized society, women have been downplayed for their roles in agriculture, trades, and other callings where the patriarchy has built a steadfast ceiling not meant to be broken by ambitious females.  My heart breaks when I consider how the shape of our modern world was actually built and how this prejudice has been even more severe and commonly deadly for Indigenous people, People of Color, and those whose gender identity or sexuality never fit into a cozy, socially mandated box.

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