What are we waiting for?

On September 17th, 2002, I started a compilation of my favorite poetry.

It had been a hard year for many reasons, and the years ahead did not become any easier.

I often tell myself, that if my house were burning down, this is the *one* thing I would grab, besides my children.

The journal is now dirty and bulging, stuffed with my favorite poems, quotes and emails that sustained me through difficult times.

Time went by, and I had 2 children. As they came out of the all-consuming baby phase, I began to look around me at my friends children, many of whom were older.

I noticed most of them were struggling in one way or another.

I started making each of them their own poetry journal. Each time someone had a graduation, a special birthday or just was having a particularly difficult time, I would pull out my own journal and make photo copies of the poems that I thought might be relevant for them.


I purchased a journal with their personality in mind and glued in the poems I had chosen inside. I also wrote a personal note about what the journal had meant to me and my hope that they would add their own poems and inspiration to it.

Most of these kids were in their teen years, and I started thinking, What are we waiting for?

Why do we wait to give our kids the tools they need?

They need life vests before they are thrown into the current, not after. (Although, better late than never).

I began to read poetry with my own children every night. We began to navigate not only silly children's poems, but also some of my favorites that meant a great deal to me. Growing up, I had memorized Bible verses, many of which I still remember. But I am not certain these were entirely helpful other than a few. Many of them were more about obedience and faithfulness to God. I can not remember any versus that emboldened me as a girl or a woman.

I wanted my kids to have a similar experience memorizing poems and verses, but I must admit, my focus was very different. I wanted them to memorize things that would empower them, not merely make them obedient.

The Girl God was written with that in mind. It contains all the things I wish someone had said to me growing up. 


People often ask me, "What about boys?"

Boys are never forgotten and always loved. We will do a book for boys too. I feel in my heart that we are facing a global catastrophe, and girls are on the receiving end of the worst of it. 

I believe the primary reason for the subjugation of women and girls is the way religions are framed to include only a male deity.  The majority of the world practices a religion; primarily Christianity or Islam. Most people are unlikely to ever leave their faith, so I feel the best approach is to work within faith traditions and expose the Divine Feminine that has been silenced.

So, I did a book for girls first. But I am working on quotes and a storyline for a book for boys as well.

My wish for all children is a life filled with hope, joy, love and peace. For most of us, life is far from perfect.  I hope these books will serve as a life preserver for the times when, for a variety of reasons, life is not all they hoped for.