I’ve always been impressed by my father’s consistent patience and optimism. Even in the darkest of situations, he would portray optimism among his frustrations. I also consider myself very lucky to have a good dad, as I know many people are not that lucky–including my father himself. My grandpa was the stereotypical distant, absent father…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz6UbdAJEVU&feature=youtu.be
Last year at CSW an Indian woman, Ms. Sai, from an organization called Swayam Shikshan Prayog reported on a project in which rural women were making and selling solar-powered lamps. A Moroccan woman listened in complete awe. During the Q&A she said that she is from a similarly patriarchal country and asked, “How do you…
Two Poems and the Power to Choose As a little girl I remember sitting at my father’s feet as he would recall classic poems and teach my five siblings and me the principles that could be derived from each masterpiece. Two in particular piqued my interest as a little girl and have stuck with me.…
https://youtu.be/_KA3S6za2M0
Centuries ago among the Igbo people in Nigeria, women had a level of autonomy not experienced today. Amaka Akudinobi, who is an Igbo woman, associates the shift in women’s status with the British coming into Nigeria and instilling their values on the people there. Through the nineteenth century, certain aspects of European ideology were integrated…
In this month of June, where Father’s Day is celebrated, and we are focusing on our interdependent relationships with men here at Big Ocean, we thought having insight from a man who considers himself a maternal feminist would be valuable. Here, Matt Hyde shares his experience in embracing this philosophy. We are thankful for the…
“You gotta have heart,” says the song about a down and out baseball team. John Sudbury isn’t a lyricist, but he could have written those words. He has a heart as big as all outdoors and encouraged those who played football or baseball for him to take heart and give it their whole-hearted effort. He…
That’s me in the middle – one sister with four brothers. Actually, I had a big sister, but when I was only six months old, my sister Charlotte passed away. The government was testing nuclear bombs in Nevada, and many people in Nevada, Utah, and Idaho were victims to the illnesses caused by the nuclear…