What Women Are Not



Rebecca Thornton 2016

I suppose you can say I was surrounded by strong women. My mother on the surface looked the part of a typical suburban housewife, but in reality she ruled the roost. Not so much domineering as she was opinionated and strong. I never saw her intimidated or fearful of my father. For the most part theirs was a fairly equal partnership. I suppose that's how you're​ made up when raised with four brothers. Recently while scrolling through Instagram, I came across a haunting image by photographer Stephanie Sinclair. In the image are two young women on a rooftop one standing, the other kneeling in a rain storm. The first thing you noticed is the disfigurement of the kneeling girl's face. Upon reading the story I discovered the young women is a victim for having acid thrown in her face. 

The link below gives a far better description of the situation. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTIRZq0j-P6/ 

My point in bringing this up is to make you aware of what women are not. For one women are not property, nor should they be subservient to anyone. Women are not prizes to be awarded nor are they the weaker sex. Like I said, I grew up with strong opinionated women who raised me to be a strong, opinionated man. Being strong does not make a woman any less feminine. Nor does their motherly instinct make them any less tough. Being a husband and the father of two strong, opinionated females has given me a front row seat to the ins and outs where that strength comes from. It comes from the lessons the parent places in the child's heart. As my kids grew up I did my best to install in each of them that they could do anything. And so far they have lived up to my expectations, even beyond what I expected in some cases.

My heart bleeds for the daughters that are told they are less than or that their ultimate goal is to “spring forth and multiply”, because life can be so much more than just that. Also just because you're stronger than a women, doesn't give you a pass to be a bully. What it does make you is a petty monster that needs to be taught a lesson. Recently I listened to my son-in-law tell me what he's going to do to the boys when our granddaughter comes of age. I kinda had to laugh to myself, because I remember when he was the enemy in my eyes. All I would say to him is, raise her to be strong and don't be afraid to let go. Because the world’s cruel enough as it is, so she and every other girl needs all the support they can get.

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