Little Wall of Women

A book has never made me cry before, but Sue Monk Kidd's novel The Secret Life of Bees has probably been the closest out of any of them. It is a heartfelt novel about deep wounds, full forgiveness, imagination, the sacred black mother Mary, and a line of big black stout women called "The Daughters." Towards the end the little girl is confronting her hurtful father and "The Daughters"come stand by and support her.

Sue Monk describes it as "I wonder how we must look to him. A bunch of women- Mabelee four foot ten, Lunelle's hair standing straight up on her head begging to be braided, Violet muttering Blessed Mary, and Queenie- tough old Queenie- with her hands on her hips and her lip shoved out, every inch of her saying I double dog dar you to take this girl."


"Good riddance, he said, and moved toward the door. We had to open up our little wall of women to let him through."

This is how I imagine my life has been. When people have come in a created deep wounds into my heart, I have had a group of women standing right there with me as well. And I wonder what we must look like. A bunch of women- Aunt Julie a little over five feet tall and her sharp black boots on, Aunt Marcia with her wild poodle hair with one of her fists in the air resembling the stature of a tough little dwarf, miniture Emily standing as if she was 7 feet tall and eyebrows raised and pierced lips, tiny little tough oma praying the hail mary with her german apron on, and my mother- tough mother- with her sleeves rolled up as if she were about to go digging in a garden, every inch of her saying I dare you to even try and hurt my little girl one bit.

We have a little wall of women alright. Tough little german women, with a slight edge of style.