Artwork by 11-year-old A.M.
As time passes, we learn a great deal about things and improve our lives as a result. And much of our lives rests fundamentally on ancient wisdom. There are lessons we’ve learned which have been time honored, meaning that they’ve worked for so long and deviations from this wisdom have been so disastrous, that the lessons have survived many years. While we should always use our current findings to check older information, there should be some willingness to find out whether old advice is just old or if perhaps it is true and wise and has been around so long for some good reason.
Modern woman has come a long way. Yet, we’re not necessarily better off in every regard. In some ways, it seems we’ve deviated from traditional wisdom and found ourselves stuck in painful or fruitless situations that do not resemble the idealized Hollywood version of events we’ve often been subjected to. Or take the topic of nutrition. Most would agree we’ve strayed far from the diets of our ancestors and have largely suffered as a result.
We can use all our current knowledge and choose to accept some ancient wisdom at the same time. By being wise we do not shun an idea just because it is new or not. We judge and make decisions based on the information and circumstances around each one.
And so it is a reminder to us women, that the reason we exist is due to the strategies and behaviors of those who came before us. It is wise to drop negative behaviors but first we must be sure we’re judging something correctly. This takes humility and openness and critical thinking, but it is well worth it. Our progeny are relying on us.