Taylor Natale

All my life, my grandparents have told me the same thing: “You would not want to live in the world we grew up in.” They say it with such certainty, as if modern life is unquestionably superior in every way. They talk about the hard work, the limited opportunities, the slower pace, and the simplicity that defined their early years. They say I am lucky to have been born into a generation of convenience, technology, and independence. But the older I get, the more I realize something unexpected....

Women today are tired, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You can see it in their eyes during their morning commute, in the tension they carry in their shoulders at their desks, and in the quiet exhale that escapes at the end of another long workday. Somewhere along the way, womanhood stopped feeling like a blessing and began to feel unfamiliar, though most couldn’t say exactly why. Part of the reason is that women have been pressured to live, work, and lead...