On Words, Womanhood, and Showing Up

I'm Back!

As I write this, it’s both World Book Day and National Vagina Appreciation Day—A day dedicated to the importance of women's sexual and reproductive health. Somehow, honoring both words and women at once feels remarkably fitting for the quick note I want to share today.

Confession: I’ve found it hard to face this newsletter lately—a mix of overwhelm (there’s so much to write about) and that creeping sense of hopelessness:

What’s the point, anyway?

How will my voice change anything?

And…if not politics, then what?

As American democracy frays, is anyone really interested in hearing about, say, the Good Girl trap or how mothers-in-law perpetuate invisible labor? Or any of the other 60+ pieces in my draft folder covering parenting conundrums and everyday sexism?

But then, as synchronicity would have it, The Herstories Project asked me to give a talk on why women should keep writing in challenging times. And as I prepared my thoughts, I started to believe them.

If all the tired people step aside, the only voices out there will be the most extreme voices.

Writing—especially for women—isn’t just about putting words on a page. It’s about shaping the conversation. It’s about making sure our truths are heard, our experiences are recognized, and our history isn’t rewritten to erase us.

We can’t forget that difficult times bring misinformation, with revisionist narratives that erase the inconvenient truths. But when women write, we preserve reality. We make sure that future generations don’t just hear the dominant story—they hear our story.

And here’s the thing: words don’t just capture the moment—we shape the future with them.

Even in the darkest times, words plant seeds.

They shift perspectives.

They challenge injustices.

They spark movements.

The books, essays, and rants written today will shape the policies, the culture, and the activism of tomorrow.

And maybe most importantly, writing—or let’s just say speaking up in whatever ways we can—is an assertion of self. In a world that too often tries to dismiss or silence women, speaking up is an act of defiance. It says: I am here. I see what’s happening. My voice matters.

I suppose, I have been saying a version of this since Trump was elected last November. In It’s Misogyny and They Know It, I urged us to tell our daughters that so much of what’s right in this country has come from women standing up to injustice. In Eyes Wide Open, I reminded us of the power of women’s disobedience throughout history.

But beyond speaking out against the human rights violations we’re witnessing, the rejection of science, the devaluing of knowledge, and on and on, it’s important to remember that it’s okay that we’re still trying to live our lives, meet our goals, have fun, create normalcy and joy for our kids, show up for our communities. I am reminded that showing up here in whatever way I do is alright. The Feminist Parent is a community after all—one I hope to strengthen in the coming months.

As democracy unravels, the erosion of women’s rights is terrifying. But we have an opportunity to model what it looks like when women follow their passions, take risks, own their agency anyway. Raising children isn’t separate from making change; it is change. We're growing the next generation of citizens, leaders, and voters.

So yeah, these are hard times. But that is exactly why we must keep showing up to our lives. Because our words and actions:

They are a lifeline

They are a record

They are a revolution.

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…This is a long way of saying (in my shortest newsletter ever): I’M BACK!

And I hope you are too. I’d love to hear what you are doing to continue being you amidst the chaos.

xox

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Buy or gift my book Sexism & Sensibility: Raising Empowered Resilient Girls In The Modern World