References and source standards
The Stoic Mother is a storytelling publication, but the philosophical language used here comes from a real tradition with a long history.
Founding story and biographical reference
The Stoic Mother began in part with Eric Steele looking back at the woman who raised him and recognizing lessons that became clearer only with age.
Baker Funeral Home Wichita East. The obituary documents Virginia Katherine Steele's life, family, more than 50 years as a La Leche League Leader, creation of the E-Z Baby Tote infant carrier, and her work with Jack Steele at Mail Marketing Plus beginning in 1977.
bakerfhwichita.com/obituaries/virginia-steele
Foundational Stoic sources
The site does not treat a motivational quote graphic as evidence. When discussing Stoicism as philosophy, these are among the starting points.
A scholarly overview of the history, sources and major doctrines of Stoic philosophy.
plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/
An academic overview of Stoic history, ethics, emotion, virtue and later influence.
iep.utm.edu/stoicism/
A foundational Stoic handbook, especially relevant to the distinction between what is within our control and what is not.
classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html
A primary Stoic text concerned with character, responsibility, judgment, social duty, mortality and attention to one's own actions.
classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html
The Roman Stoic Musonius Rufus explicitly argued that women should study philosophy and that daughters should receive the same moral education as sons. A modern edition was published by Yale University Press in 2020.
De Gruyter Brill / Yale University Press edition
What counts as a source here
Many of the most important pieces published by The Stoic Mother will be first-person stories. In those cases, the person telling the story is a primary source for her or his own lived experience.
When an essay makes historical, biographical, philosophical or scientific claims beyond personal experience, the publication should identify and link to reputable sources whenever practical.
Editorial source principles
Personal recollection is valuable, but it should not be disguised as independently verified history.
Calling someone a Stoic Mother is an editorial interpretation unless she explicitly used that description herself.
If a factual error is discovered, the goal is to fix it rather than defend it.