I have 3 women in my life and -as one of them turns 18 — I am proud of all of them. They are all what a woman should be. If I think about my family, there are more women, including my sister, an ex-sister-in-law and 4 nieces. As the 18 year old sang in a choir this morning, bought a Unicorn something from Starbucks, and just played basketball, I thought “that’s what a girl or woman should be.
Here’s an actual list of things the women I know are:
A pastor
A social worker
A student
A professor
A great blues/soul/rock singer
A basketball player
A tennis player
On tech crew for drama and music
A mother
A daughter
College bound
In college
In addition to jobs, they are all:
Capable of making choices
Responsible for their own bodies and what happens with them
At times, in a dangerous world, but safe at home (I think, for all of them.
Smart
Funny
Sarcastic
Kind
Not kind at all sometimes
Overworked
Maybe underpaid
Sexual
Not sexual
Wants children
Doesn’t want children
Happy
Sad
A hippie
Christian
Atheist
Deeply faithful
Not as deeply faithful
Of no faith at all
All of them:
like diversity in their friends
Care for the outsider and oppressed
Have their own opinions
Have their own interests
Are right often
Make mistakes as well
Are who they are
And for the most part, all I have to do is let them be that. Sometimes I have to remind them of who they are and what they can be — how many options they have. i don’t know if that makes me a feminist or not, laissez-faire or concerned enough, but I do believe that any woman on earth ought to be anything on this list. Am I imposing my opinion on the world? I suppose I am. I plan to continue with that.
Resisting with Peace,
John
Because It Matters 