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Fran Liberatore's avatar

I really resonate with actually never wanting to lean in and be successful in the mainstream sense. I really never wanted to girl-boss my way to career success. Perhaps part of this is privilege, but I don’t think that’s all it is. We def need a more complex conception of what it means to be a feminist, what it means to seek equality and justice and seek a life that feels nourishing rather than exhausting.

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Anna Hewitt's avatar

Yes! I have a tendency to feel guilt or shame that I don’t do more or earn real money and I feel like I’ve sneaked out of a system that everyone else is stuck in but through the privilege of a partner who can support us. It doesn’t seem fair that this option isn’t available to everyone who might want it. I’m thinking a lot about how/what I could do to offer or create support for others but I don’t know if I can actually do anything meaningful.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

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Fran Liberatore's avatar

yep, i'm right there with you, thinking all of those things! not that i don't think we're doing meaningful things - we are. But that the world feels so overwhelming at times that as much as we might be doing, it never feels like enough (and that too, is what colonial capitalism wants us to believe!!)

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Mei Christensen's avatar

I’ve been so interested in this as well. I enjoyed reading your thoughts peeling back the layers on this cultural obsession, why it is harmful, and what we really should be focusing on.

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Anna Hewitt's avatar

Thanks so much for reading! As I read and hear some responses, I feel like there is so much more to say. But it also does seem important to think about what we can do to (hopefully) make changes for the better.

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Corinne Cunningham's avatar

I related to this in a big way. Still digesting. Thanks for putting SO much into this piece!

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Anna Hewitt's avatar

Thank you so much for reading. It is a topic with a lot of layers and perspectives and I’m realizing that I forgot to say (in the piece) that this is only a small part of the trad wife discussion.

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