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Quote by Peggy Orenstein

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Peggy Orenstein
Peggy Orenstein

Peggy Orenstein is an American author known for her insightful exploration of women's growth and gender roles. Her work delves into the multifaceted identities and challenges faced by women in modern society, particularly the experiences of teenage girls and young women. more

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“I join thousands of parents globally in advocating for our daughters to accept their natural bodies and for the cessation of the harmful notion that only a “new one” will bring happiness.”

“Taormina sits on a natural platform above the coast, its small streets and tiny staircases climbing to the summit of Mount Tauro, where an ancient Greek theater looks out across the sea. Stunning views aside, its coral-colored stone houses with wrought-iron balconies climb above elegant piazzas lined with cafés and filled with people. Deep green bushes with their bright pink flowers seem to grow everywhere, straight from the baking-hot stone. The town is beautiful, the pearl of the Ionian Sea, recently made famous by the show The White Lotus.”

“A shallow dish the color of clotted cream, a scattering of raspberries, wine-red loganberries, redcurrants on the stem and wild strawberries the size of a child's fingernail, complete with tiny alpine strawberry flowers. Never has there been a prettier dessert, and not a recipe or a creative cook in sight.”

“In 2024 I proudly joined the 'Women over 40' club, somehow arriving without coloring my hair, getting botox, fillers or plastic surgery. In today’s predominantly 'plastic cookie-cutter' culture, that’s a beautiful and rebellious statement— one celebrating authenticity and humanity in its purest form. Living long enough to earn wrinkles, grey hair and deal with an aging body is a privilege not all of us are granted. That is why I will always wear my age with gratitude and fierce passion.”

“Maggie looked like the sunshine main character of every story. Her curls were naturally beautiful and alluring, while mine were frayed and resembled a lion’s mane on a bad day—at least they did at that moment. Her eyes were pools of liquid brown like honey, mine were… seaweed green. Her dresses were pastels and creams, mine were the darker shades. She wore pointed flaps with straps, I lived in my leather boots and embroidered socks. Even in that moment, Maggie wore an orange dress tied in a loose bow across her chest. I wore my mauve one with a brown corset embroidered with flowers. Cute, yes, but two different people. If someone came in searching for a lost princess, I’d believe them if they told Maggie it was her.”

“My mother is soil and rain, clay, ash, sand, sun and moonlight. My mother is a weeping willow— strong, daring, dripping. My mother is oceans so salty and wild she can consume whole cities— but, mostly, she chooses to be calm turquoise, washing softly over toes in sand. She is vast— some places un-navigated. She is offering, felt without words, sacred, and restful. She grows life. —mother/Mother Earth”

“The river loved to tell everybody (everybody being the sky, the wind, the few trees that grew around there, birds, deer and even the stars if you can believe that) what a great river it was. "I come roaring from the earth and return roaring to the earth. I am the master of my waters. I am the mother and father of myself. I don't need a single drop of rain. Look at my smooth strong white muscles. I am my own future!”