It's hard in the South to raise a "lady". We are so full of Tomboys. Girls who wear cut-off shorts and sloppy T-shirts with dirty shoes, hair wild and dirty legs with holey shoes are very common in our area. It is a rarity to find a "prissy" girl, who doesn't like such things. Boys are stupid, but let's admit. they are more fun!
A very, very long time ago, I decided to raise my two beautiful Southern Tom Boy daughters to be the kind of girl like my cousin brought home one time. She was beautiful. Petite, long hair, pretty face..but she hunted with Justin. She fished. She was tough.
I begin explaining to my daughters that they could be both tough and beautiful. They could be prom queens and pageant winners, wear dresses to church and nice clothes to the movies and still be athletes. It was possible. It was possible to style their hair and wear make-up and look cute and be a bad-ass.
I tried to display this behavior to them as well. I can dress up with glamorous make-up and clothes, or I could put on my tank top and tennis shoes and sweat with the best of them. I could be a bad-ass in mascara and lip gloss, and it was important that people remembered that.
At some point, you have to teach your children to fight for what is right. I was blessed that my daughters are both strong personalities. The seem mild enough at first, meek almost; however, once you get to know them, they are very different people in that they stand up firmly for what they believe in.
Unfortunately, I have had to show them first hand how to leave and abusive man. I have had to show them how to lose a best friend and get up and go to work. They have had to see how to bury their father and keep going. They've had to see how to build a home all over again and depend on others to help.
They've had to learn that queens can cry. They can be sick. They can be depressed. They can get angry. But they have also seen that queens can wipe their tears and straighten their crowns. Queens know whose they are and where they are going. Queens know their worth, and they can soldier on.
A very, very long time ago, I decided to raise my two beautiful Southern Tom Boy daughters to be the kind of girl like my cousin brought home one time. She was beautiful. Petite, long hair, pretty face..but she hunted with Justin. She fished. She was tough.
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| The Baller |
I tried to display this behavior to them as well. I can dress up with glamorous make-up and clothes, or I could put on my tank top and tennis shoes and sweat with the best of them. I could be a bad-ass in mascara and lip gloss, and it was important that people remembered that.
At some point, you have to teach your children to fight for what is right. I was blessed that my daughters are both strong personalities. The seem mild enough at first, meek almost; however, once you get to know them, they are very different people in that they stand up firmly for what they believe in.
Unfortunately, I have had to show them first hand how to leave and abusive man. I have had to show them how to lose a best friend and get up and go to work. They have had to see how to bury their father and keep going. They've had to see how to build a home all over again and depend on others to help.
They've had to learn that queens can cry. They can be sick. They can be depressed. They can get angry. But they have also seen that queens can wipe their tears and straighten their crowns. Queens know whose they are and where they are going. Queens know their worth, and they can soldier on.
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