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With Love From Kay's avatar

“We then felt like failures for graduating without a spouse, legally able to drink, and still discouraged from having sex.” I felt this. I grew up Mormon and the culture around Women, what we can and can’t do. The pressure to cover up and be modest and to feel like I should be ashamed of my body instead of embracing the beauty of being a woman.

Dr. Andrew Zimmermann's avatar

Oofff. I feel this, Kay. While I went to an “egalitarian oriented” christian university, there was still this pervasive patriarchy that blamed and shamed women. I am thankful for you sharing with openness and vulnerability. Your courage is an inspiration.

A. G. Giberson | Poet's avatar

The FERVOUR with which I would take myself up to the altar as a youngster. I'm still unpacking it all. Actually, I'm only beginning to unpack it all. I have quite an inner resistance to dealing with this part of my life. But, thanks to you and this diagram, I was driving to work the other day after bringing women together for a book club in my home and saw a beautiful sunrise and found myself thinking, maybe this is what fellowship and spirituality can be. And that is the first time since forever that I've even thought it could exist for me. So, thank you. I may have room to unpack and rebuild after all.

Dr. Andrew Zimmermann's avatar

While religious trauma really sucks, healing is always possible. Thank you for sharing with vulnerability, for leaning into that notion that spirituality can be more. It can always be more.

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Oct 23
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Dr. Andrew Zimmermann's avatar

I would say it is “goofy” if it wasn’t so damn harmful. It is sales/marketing 101 - literally telling people they have a problem and selling the solution, often at a premium cost of our humanity.