Positive❤Inspiration

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” 

- Jonas Salk

Positivity

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” 

- Barbara Kingsolver

Inspiration

I am inspired by my mother. She moved several hours away from her family as a newlywed in the late 1950’s. My grandmother and aunts were incredible cooks. My mom held onto her most prized possession, the Betty Crocker Cookbook. I still remember the torn, stained pages due to her frequent usage of the book. The cookbook is full of caricatures of women dressed in fancy 1950’s dresses and wearing heels serving her husband and children (who are sitting nicely at the table). This portrayal of women was “normal” at the time. 

I wanted to start with this cookbook for the first recipes because even with the gender specific roles depicted in the book, it played an important role in how my mother (and other women) presented themselves for years to come. Research has been conducted on gender portrayals of occupational and marital roles during the past forty years. Studies show that female characters are likely to identify in marital roles whereas male characters are depicted in occupational roles. Even when women are in the workplace on television, their roles are typically domestic and interpersonal roles. 

It is important to note that history may not always be what we witnessed on television. For instance, when the movie Hidden Figures was released, I was incredibly sad that I had no idea about these incredible “human computers.” I had watched the moon walk which was historical. Who knew that women were behind the mathematical calculations? Imagine how many more women would be involved in STEM if they knew science and mathematics were meant for girls, too.  

In the words of Maya Angelou, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." Let’s make sure we find out the many ways women are making a difference and promote their good works. We can do this!

Live Inspired. Always.