Google those words and you'll see the image I am about to comment on. Because it is copyrighted, I have refrained from posting the image here, but nonetheless let me begin.
In middle school, I purchased a shirt from a trip to D.C. with this gal on it and I thought I was pretty tough stuff everytime I wore it. Everything about my attitude changed when I wore that shirt. It seemed it appealled to almost every girl in my grade, for we all went home wearing one. Looking at the image, I think of women empowerment and it fosters a "get out of my way I don't need a man around" attitude. I think this image is the epitome of thought that predominates and teaches our growing girls how to behave, as evidenced by so many of my peers (myself included) who couldn't leave the museum without one in their possession.
How far I've come, since that day, in coming to understand what "toughness" really is and how to go about getting that acknowledgement from men that so many women desire. So many women have to "fight" to get recognition in the workplace and academic arena to try to validate their actions, but let me tell you; the fastest and easiest way to get this kind of recognition is to marry the right man, love him unconditionally, serve him by bearing his children, make daily sacrifices to tend to them, and then, he'll whisper in your ear one morning, out of no where, like my husband did in mine, this morning, "You are so tough. You deserve anything you want. You sacrifice your life for me and the kids."
I'm willing to bet a whole career of workaholic women whose lives are dominated by the "all about me and what I can accomplish" attitude will work their lives away and never hear such beautiful words as I heard this morning coming from my loving, appreciative husband.
What's not to envy about my role as wife and mother when I get to wake up in the morning to a husband kneeling at my bedside with words of thanks, admiration and accolades like this?
In middle school, I purchased a shirt from a trip to D.C. with this gal on it and I thought I was pretty tough stuff everytime I wore it. Everything about my attitude changed when I wore that shirt. It seemed it appealled to almost every girl in my grade, for we all went home wearing one. Looking at the image, I think of women empowerment and it fosters a "get out of my way I don't need a man around" attitude. I think this image is the epitome of thought that predominates and teaches our growing girls how to behave, as evidenced by so many of my peers (myself included) who couldn't leave the museum without one in their possession.
How far I've come, since that day, in coming to understand what "toughness" really is and how to go about getting that acknowledgement from men that so many women desire. So many women have to "fight" to get recognition in the workplace and academic arena to try to validate their actions, but let me tell you; the fastest and easiest way to get this kind of recognition is to marry the right man, love him unconditionally, serve him by bearing his children, make daily sacrifices to tend to them, and then, he'll whisper in your ear one morning, out of no where, like my husband did in mine, this morning, "You are so tough. You deserve anything you want. You sacrifice your life for me and the kids."
I'm willing to bet a whole career of workaholic women whose lives are dominated by the "all about me and what I can accomplish" attitude will work their lives away and never hear such beautiful words as I heard this morning coming from my loving, appreciative husband.
What's not to envy about my role as wife and mother when I get to wake up in the morning to a husband kneeling at my bedside with words of thanks, admiration and accolades like this?
Hey, stumbled across your blog from some article I read. I am a Mormon mom so I very much get where you're coming from on this stuff, but I hope you don't turn other people off while trying to defend the stay-at-home mom lifestyle. It's great for us, but plenty of people don't have the awesome opportunity we have or maybe they really excel and do good in the world in other ways. I can totally get behind a "we're tough, TOO" sort of mantra but this is very close to a "we're tougher than YOU" mantra, which is actually not cool. Anyway, I hope you get where I'm coming from. If your blog should end up being successful I don't want people to get the idea that Mormon moms are smug and think they are better than others. We might just be luckier, you know?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, keep fighting the good fight.
Good news, the "We Can Do It" poster associated with Rosie the Riveter is in the public domain. You can include itin your blog: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:We_Can_Do_It!.jpg
ReplyDelete