Oh To Be a Woman...
Hello,
I have checked and I have full permission to share this moment with you. A dear friend of mine's daughter turned 13 this week. Izzy, her mother had asked her adult female friends who have known her daughter for much of her life, to write a prayer, wise words or wishes, which she would add to her prayer pouch.
The Prayer Pouch Tradition
For those that don't know, a prayer pouch or tie is a Native American red string belt worn around the waist, which has red square pouches attached to it, traditional to The Lakota and other Plains tribes. Each square is filled with blessed tobacco and houses the prayers and good wishes offered, which are also intended to protect the wearer.
On her birthday, Izzy's daughter would receive these prayers from witnesses and allies throughout her life, marking her coming of age. She would also receive a gold charm bracelet from all of us. A more 'Chichi gift', and a sufficient nod to modernity for a girl of her years.
Missing Rites of Passage
As a mother to a young girl, it made me think about how beyond our actual birthdays there is a distinct lack of rites of passage into womanhood in modern society.
