Happy Thursday Everybody!
Today’s prompt is tough for me to answer. So I had to put a lot of thought into this question.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO EMPOWER WOMEN?
I’ve said many times in my life that I think I was born in the wrong generation.
Let me explain.
When I was in elementary and middle school, I dreamed of going to college, getting my Elementary Education degree and teaching little kiddos. And during the whole process, I meet the perfect guy and pop out four wonderful children. Then I would retire from teaching and stay home with my kids until school age, then return to teaching.
Of course, God always has a better plan.
It took me a little longer than the normal four years to finish school. I changed my major from education to nursing. I met and married the LOML in the middle of college. I worked full-time for about four years before having our first child. When I became a mother, everything changed!
I took 6 weeks maternity leave and the day I had to return back to work, my heart broke!
I continued working part-time through two more babies. It never got easier to leave them!
At the end of my fourth pregnancy, the words I had been waiting for what seemed like forever came out of the LOML’s mouth…
“Why don’t you quit work and stay home with the boys?”
YEAH!!!!
(Insert happy dance)
All my coworkers told me that I would be bored staying home. Well, guess what….I’ve been home for 20 years and not one day have I been bored. I have enjoyed every minute (minus a couple of temper tantrums!).
So many of my coworkers wanted to climb the administration ladder but I never had the itch. I wanted to be with my kids. I didn’t want to miss a minute of their childhood. Call me weird but I LOVE my life!
So, on to the question of empowering women.
I have two daughters and four sons. I want each of them to know that everyone is created equal. But each has different strengths, gifts, desires. God made men to be protectors, gatherers, hunters, providers, task driven. Women on the other hand are nurturers, multi-taskers, more emotion driven, relational.
Now these are just generalizations but I believe God created men and women differently to complement each other. Then our children will be exposed to both strengths of their parents.
I’ve taught my boys to treat me with respect, care, kindness and hopefully they will continue this with other women in their lives. I’ve taught my girls that they can do anything…teacher, nurse, engineer, doctor, lawyer, mother. I pray each of my children will be happy with the choices they’ve make in their lives.
Empowerment is the knowledge that we have the power to do what makes us happy using the strengths and gifts God has given us.
Tomorrow’s prompt is “How do you save money on your grocery bill?”
Love y’all,
Linda
