. . .because you're a girl. . .

Yesterday after work/daycare, I was driving the girls to Target. On the way there we passed a very busy YMCA. Big Sister asked what all the kids were doing. I told her they were playing soccer, to which she responded: "And I gonna play football like Gavin!" (her much-looked-up -to-older cousin)

My first reaction, and I'm happy to say I was able to stifle it, was to respond, "oh honey, girls don't play football." But I didn't say it. Because my next thought was, what kind of world do I want my little girls to grow up in where they believe that they can't do something because they're a girl. . .or not tall enough, or not good enough, or not pretty enough. Especially at the age of 3. They should fully believe that they can do ANYTHING they want.



Someday, all too soon they'll realize what we all come to realize: Putting on our new tennis shoes doesn't make us the fastest. We aren't going to be the best at everything.

But I hope that doesn't stop either of them from trying. Someone has to be the fastest. Someone has to be the best. And regardless, each of us has something unique to offer.

It's weird. I don't want them to live under false disillusion that they will succeed at everything. But I also don't want them to believe that they can succeed at nothing.

I was thinking last night about the phrase "reach for the stars." I came to realize that in order to reach for the stars, you must first believe that you can touch them. I don't know if that's a unique thought or not, but lately I've noticed something about myself. I'm not sure I believe that I can touch the stars—which makes it pretty difficult to will myself into trying.

So I guess that what I want to take from this for myself is that while the Girls are still deciding what they're passionate about and what they truly want to pursue, that I don't discourage them in anything and help them to believe that the stars truly are the limit for them. I need to instill confidence, not meekness in them.

And of course, let them wear rainboots if that's what they want to wear, even when it's not raining.



xoxo—Lori

Oh, on a less thoughtful note:
You might notice Little Sister toting around the pillow I made her in the above picture. That's because I finished a different pillow to put in my etsy shop—only she thought it was hers and was very upset when I took it from her. (didn't want it to get dirty!) So in order to prove to her that it wasn't hers, I had to produce hers. Oh the mind of a 1 year-old!! :)