KG was very excited to share one of his first ‘science & exploration’ lessons earlier this year. On a Friday drive after school, he excitedly named all the living and non-living things he could see. “Flowers are living. Plants are living. Signs are non-living. Cars are non-living”. The joy of learning is beautiful.

 

This got me thinking of stereotypes; KG has been sent to dismantle stereotypes in my world. I was taught that they are constructs that help us ‘make sense of our world’. Even though flawed by human unconsciousness, they’re supposed to be necessary for everyday interaction. They have a ‘place in our world’.

 

But are they relevant today?

 

Mr. T and I are parenting a generation later. And we’re not alone. Women, in particular, across the globe are taking ownership of their lives and careers to delay starting families. One of the main reasons is financial.

 

In previous generations, the driver of big families from early on – apart from the lack of medical contraception – was to support the familial unit, fend for food, tend the home, work the fields and later the factories, and so on.

 

And let’s not forget the friends who become family.

 

Today, many families don’t even live together. The very concept of family has changed; there are some beautiful blended families. And let’s not forget the friends who become family. Not everyone has to donate their sperm or ova to create real deep connection. The Universe has already taken care of that; we’re all from the same Source.

 

‘Unlearning’ is a buzz word that peppers our contemporary lexicon. I guess it sounds more sophisticated than ‘breaking the rules’. I was terrified of breaking the rules. What were those rules? Be a good girl, do well at school, study, act like a lady, get a job, get married, have kids. These are just a few.   

 

My spirit rebelled many of those for a long time which created such dissonance, so much noise, endless trauma, and heartache. At the heart of this is the rejection of what is. Failure to accept.

 

Every spirit enters the world in pursuit of its own unique path. But from birth, society endows – often without malice but unconscious – certain hopes and dreams, parameters, stereotypes on young souls which create stumbling blocks.

 

Think of a newborn – pure and innocent – leaving the palace of the womb, still fragile and in need of nurturing but expected to jump over hurdles in a race to fulfil the stereotypes that the loving parents unknowingly radiate over the spirit.

 

Girls are victims; boys are victors.

 

We dress our boys in blue, our girls in pink. We decorate their rooms in a way that reinforces this. Some conditioning is subtle, others not. That’s before the world has even had a chance to add further layers of discrimination. Girls are to be protected; boys are the protectors. Girls are victims; boys are victors.

 

Mainstream religion plays a massive role in entrenching the mainstay of patriarchy. Why do I have to attend a service with a male standing up to share the “do’s and don’ts” of how I need to live my life? Heck, we’ve even made ‘God the father’. Male.

 

Are we surprised that we live in a world with gender-based violence, abuse, and gender inequality so rife, it’s almost normal?

 

Once we start questioning, we slowly loosen the ties that bind us in small-mindedness, the stereotypes of unconsciousness, and most importantly, we empower our spirits to live authentically.

 

May the curse of patriarchy die in my lifetime. May my children understand that breaking the rules and creating new paths is what they are here to do.

 

Live your truth, precious souls.  Go ahead and break the rules. Make Mommy proud.

 

 

Pic – own, view from my bedroom.

I was fascinated by how the birds all settled on the one small branch – could tell as it was lowered by their weight – reminded me of a quote I’ve come across along the lines of “The birds have no interest in the strength of the branch but in the power of their wings”.