I lived my entire life in a bubble gum pink bubble constructed of tulle and satin.  In light of recent events, that bubble has been popped.  The new age feminist movement has opened my eyes to injustices I never knew existed in a man’s world I didn’t live in.  It felt like a parallel universe because this was not the world I grew up in.

rn

My father passed away when I was four, and my mother was the head of a household. She was a business owner and she was an extraordinary one.  When she remarried, she still owned her own businesses and her own home, and had her own bank accounts.  It was never a power struggle; she married another successful person, but I could never tell who was in charge, because they both were.  I didn’t know that women were conditioned to make less than men in the workplace.

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My mom cooked and cleaned, but I knew she didn’t have to.  She was always put together, but I knew she had the same presence in sweats (although she’d rather be caught dead than wear a track suit).  She was tough, but also very feminine, so I never knew those two things were viewed as opposing qualities.  She never took shit from anyone and was always very good at getting what she needed, without stepping on anyone’s toes.  She was (is) a leader.

rn

This is the example of the female role model I grew up with, and this is probably the same reason I was appalled as my eyes where opened to the many truths women face today.  I want to do my small part to change things, but as I write this, I think the best thing I can do is be that change.  I can show my son and daughter that a woman’s role is whatever she wants it to be, and her worth is equal, or even superior, to her counterpart.  My husband is loving and supportive, never controlling or possessive.  My daughter and son will grow up knowing a marriage is a union of two people, and that no matter how close they are, they’re still their own person. An abundance of honor and less obeying, so that one day, when they read about the inequalities and injustices, they will seem like an ancient tale of fiction.

rn

I don’t think the problem lies in anything pink or princess like, I was always fond of both.  The problem has nothing do with Disney or a slogan on a tee.  I knew I was “cute” whether my shirt said it or not, but I also knew I was smart and fearless.  I knew these things because my mother made me prove I was, and I saw my reflection in her daily.  I grew up to be a different woman with a different parenting style, but my foundation and essence is all my role model, my mom.  

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Let’s toast to change, and being that change we are toasting to.  Let’s start with our children. Let’s speak up with pride and honor, and never look the other way, even when looking back.  The future is equal.