10 reasons I love having a daughter

1.  I can put cute bows in her hair

2. And pink shoes on her feet

3. She is not afraid to get dirty.

4. Whenever she is excited about something, I hear this feminine, high pitched voice exclaim, "oh."  It melts my heart.

5. She has the gentleness of a women the ferocity and she always know what she wants.

6. She will never be to cool for her mom or our adventures.

7. She is kind to animals and can't get enough of them.

8. She loves nature: she picks up leaves and sways to the whispering of the trees.  The other night she pointed out the moon to me.  I was amazed at how observant she is.  So we spent some time outside staring at the stars. And now, whenever I ask her where the stars are, she points at the sky.

9.  She already has to carry around her favorite accessories.  Preparing for the day, when she will carry a purse.

                                                                    (note the fork and spoon)

10.  She reminds me of the adventurous, pure, free-spirited girl that I was.  Which just pushes me harder to give her every opportunity to excel where I have made mistakes and teach her to love, respect, and cherish the child she is and the woman she will become.

Cause for alarm

A couple of days ago I was watching the Tyra Show, when I witnessed the most heart-breaking little girls in the world.  The show was about young girls, aged nine to eleven, who hated what they saw in the mirror.  One girl even said that she was as ugly as a monster.  I could have cried (if I was pregnant, I would have).  I couldn't help thinking about myself when I was young: was I under the same pressure to be beautiful as these girls?  I had insecurities, as we all do, but I never looked in the mirror and hated what I saw.  I didn't even think about how much I weighed until I gained a bunch of weight my freshmen year of high school.  It makes me sick to think that instead of playing barbies, these girls are wishing for plastic surgery to fix their beautiful, amazing, unique selves. I hate what our society has done to women, and now, what it is doing to these perfect, enchanting little girls.  It makes me want to throw out my television and shield Ella from pictures of retouched, anorexic models.  What a terrible message we are sending to our young ladies.  Beauty is not forever, it fades, it is fleeting, and it is really the least important part of any human being.  What we should be teaching our young daughters is that cultivating their talents, reaching their goals, and being self-sufficient, intelligent, and loving is what will make them truly happy.  That loving themselves and not focusing on the outside is what makes them and the world a better place.  How ridiculous that so much of the focus is placed on the appearance, when the real true beauty of an individual lies in their heart and their mind.  All I know, is that I am going to be very careful not to impress the idea of beauty as most important.  Ella will know that being a strong, capable woman has nothing to do with looks and everything to do with spirit.  We don't spend our lives in front of a mirror, but we do spend our lives with ourselves, and it is the internal reflection that really matters.  I am thankful for the women who are willing to cast out the confines of society and be themselves and who don't answer to anyone.

“Pretty is something you're born with. But beautiful, that's an equal opportunity adjective.”

Ani Difranco: feminist and all around, non -shaving, hairy pitted bad ass, singer, song-writer, and advocate for women.

  Beyonce Knowles: Award winning singer who refused to "fit" into the standards of today's celebrities.

I think I'm ready for the jelly, bring it on sister.

Kate Winslet: Another award winning celebrity who refuses to be 100 pounds and she is damn classy doing it.

Tori Amos: who needs no introduction

 

and so many others:

Tyra Banks

Oprah (I know, I know)

Janis Joplin

all the lesbians in the world

there are really too many to mention here.

Any women who desires to be a woman and not a doll or a pinup girl but a real ass-kicking, man-eating, opinionated, independent, and empathizing woman.