Hey, I’m Breanne and I’m probably already writing about it.
I currently live in the midwest with my husband. I work from home in my tiny Tolkien office while raising two kids and a Great Dane named after Billie Eilish. I would mention the cat, but I’m not raising her (Juniper is more like a roommate with office napping privileges, ya know?) I’m a professional question-asker, movie-rewatcher and recent kombucha convert.
Whether you’re a regular reader, a newer subscriber or just a visitor, I’m so glad you’re here. You’re welcome to stick around if you like.
This is the third installment of my current substack series on my personal experience with being raised under complementarian theologies and my subsequent deconstruction from them. You can read the first post here and the second post here. While the first two posts are free for anyone to read. This one is behind a paywall.
Thank you for being gracious in receiving my story.
I wasn’t born in Appalachia but it raised me.
This is the story of my roots. These are the lines I've traced back into my family history that gave me the ability to view my past through a lens of compassion.
If you weren’t brought up in this region of the United States, it’s hard to convey what it’s like. A mixture of religion, superstition, folklore, tradition, patriarchy, and dogged family loyalty. All of that mixed with breathtaking natural beauty, staggering hospitality, people who care about the land, and a commitment to stand with one another through life’s hardships.
I’m grateful and gutted to see my history form from under those ancient hills; so much of who I am was formed from what happened in their shadow. It’s not home anymore, but it used to be.