The Grandmothers::Lynn Kirkpatrick

He said she wasn't smart enough, good enough, domestic enough. He said she couldn't do it. She was a woman. Meant to be barefoot in the kitchen, pregnant and round by 20. She was meant for no more. This father was sorely disappointed when his daughter passed the age of 20, then 25, and 30 with no husband, no children. He said she wasn't smart enough, so she got a university degree. He said she was an old maid, meant be alone, so she traveled the world by herself. He said she would never find a husband, so she married her best friend. My mother followed her own path and lived the life she wanted. This educated, well-traveled woman knew herself and what she wanted. She married and had two children later in life. She flew high in the face of oppression. This strong woman grew up in poverty and sexism, the cards stacked against her, but she threw those cards out and choose the life she wanted. She chose faith and love in herself.

- Kelly Kirkpatrick-Lauzon
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