Goddess…
“Listen, daughter mine,” said the woman. “This is the Goddess. She has many names, and faces. She is me, She is you, She is Nature, She life. She is all that is, and more. Every single person who has ever lived, came from a woman.”
“Even grandpa?”
“Yes, even him.”
“I didn’t know he had a mother,” said the little girl.
“Everyone person has, or had, a mother, and every mother is a woman. But men don’t respect the Goddess. They don’t respect women. They fear Her and us. You have to know this, daughter. You have to be careful.”
“What about daddy and grandpa?”
“They do not fight for us, or with us. They love us, but they are men.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you will always be on your own. You have to be strong and learn how to fight.”
“But they’re really big.”
“They use their size against us, like all bullies do. I will protect you to the best of my ability and I’ll teach you how to defend yourself.”
“We had a bully in school and Sandra beat him up.”
“Good for her.”
“She got a lot of detentions and nothing happened to him, even though he knocked Kathy down, kicked her, and called her names. We all saw it, and we all told the teacher, but they didn’t even call his parents. He had to go to the nurses office because his lip was bleeding and he was crying like a baby. Kathy didn’t cry.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. The world you will grow up in is not fair. It’s set up against you just because you’re a girl, and no matter how old you live to be, the world will never treat you fairly.”
“Why? I didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did Kathy or Sandra.”
“You don’t have to do anything wrong. You will always be blamed for what boys and men do to you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No. It’s not. It’s hateful and evil.”
“Maybe we should get rid of daddy and grandpa.”
“Maybe.”
“Why doesn’t the Goddess help us?”
“She’s an idea. It’s up to us to make Her real.”
“I’ll draw a picture of Her.”
“Great idea.”
“You wear her on a necklace.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“To remind me of how angry I am. And so I never forget to love the rage I hold in my heart against this place.”
“I’m not having any babies.”
“I’ll remind you of that when you’re older.”
“Okay, cuz I might forget.”
“You’ll think you changed your mind but you really won’t. Your body can betray you.”
“Why?”
“Hormones, baby. We are animals, after all. We have to fight them all the time.”
“Is it okay to love daddy and grandpa?”
“Yes, they would both die for you. Unfortunately, they won’t attend a demonstration for you, walk a picket line, or do anything else, but they would be willing to kill another male if they had to.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Neither do I.”
“Can we get ice cream?”
“Sure. I thought you’d never ask.”
“Really?”
“No, I’m just teasing you.”
“We can hang the picture I’m going to draw on the refrigerator.”
“Absolutely.”
“What’s the name of the Goddess you’re wearing today?”
“This is Medusa, baby. She went away from the world of men, but they hunted her anyway. She bothered no one, and they hated her and went after her because she was a woman and because she had power. It’s the way of things on this planet. Medusa never lets me forget what it’s like to live here.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“Yes. She is.”
“Will you get a necklace like that for me?”
“It’s at home. I was just waiting for you to ask for it.”
“Thank you.”
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too. I’m gonna beat them.”
“I’ll help you, baby. So will all my friends.”
“Will that be enough to win?”
“I’d like to think so, but they might just kill all of us.”
“That would be better than not fighting back.”
“It would be.”
“We should get matching t-shirts.”
“Great idea. We can have your drawing put on the front.”
“We can get them for your friends as well.”
“Yes, we can.”
“I want chocolate.”
“Me too.”
“I’m so glad I chose you for my mother.”
“So am I, baby. So am I.”
Photo: Maniraj Madishetty
Unsplash
Rethinking Life 
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