What is strength anyway?

I kinda struggled to articulate what I was trying to say... but here's my best shot:

There is so much conversation about the 'glass ceiling,' 'feminism' and 'equality'.

It's no secret that I have passionate feelings about the degradation of women, femininity, and modesty.
There really is little else in this world that I hate more than pornography and the objectification of women.

But, I've also decided that this isn't really the problem, our problem.

In all this feminist talk about equality, the general idea is that there aren't enough women in powerful positions. There aren't enough women CEOs, politicians, business owners, etc. We talk as though in order for women to be equal to men they must be just like men; as though, men hold all the power and that we must take it from them by taking their place in society.

At first I didn't know what it was about this that bothered me so much.

But now I know what it is.

Our problem is NOT that women aren't as strong as men, NOT that women need to exercise their power in business and politics, NOT that women are weak.

Our problem is that we believe that those characteristics of womenhood are weak. The problem is not that women aren't strong, the problem is that we are weakening women everywhere with this conversation.

Who gets to decide that cooking your family a delicious and healthy meal is less important than planning a company luncheon? Who says that having a student with straight As is less worthwhile than an employee with a great business proposal? Since when is changing diapers, singing songs, teaching lessons, or holding hands a waste of time? What is it about cleaning a house, raising children, and supporting a spouse that is weak? Why do we talk like loving and caring for the people in our lives makes us weak/less/secondary? Why do we have to be anything else, anything more?

... ... ... there's a lot of tangential problems, but here's one... ... ...

I have no problem with women pursuing careers, powerful positions, and ownership in business. I think it is fantastic and encourage everybody (male or female) to aim high. But, we don't have to hold those positions to be strong. We don't have to be CEOs to be successful. We can, but we don't have to.

Both of my parents worked full time (or more) my entire life. They supported our family together. My dad worked many, many hours bringing home the bacon, but he was still at every soccer game. He coached our soccer teams, helped us train, went to performances, kept up on our schooling, and ate dinner with us nearly every night. He was incredibly involved and I never, ever doubted what my father expected of me. I never doubted my fathers love and dedication to his family. All the while he was supporting our family financially he was also supporting our family emotionally. My dad worked full time, and he raised us.

I can say the EXACT same thing about my momma. She worked hard outside of our home, but she worked even harder inside it. She was and is the most loving, supportive, dedicated mother. She was at every game, at the table every night helping us with homework, at our bedside every night praying with us. My mom raised us. My mom worked full time, and she raised us.

My point is, I'm not advocating for stay-at-home parents. (I am fully aware that this isn't possible for many, or even desirable.) I'm just advocating for parenting. You don't have to be at home all day to teach your children right and wrong, ABCs, or how to be a good friend. I'm standing up to say, "By-golly people! Being a parent isn't weak. Loving, supporting, punishing, counseling, pushing and raising your children makes you STRONG."

Being a CEO isn't the only way to be strong. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that love is FAR more powerful. It's okay to be a woman. It's okay to be happy at home, with your family.  Go to work, make your money, be successful in whatever way you want to be, but after that, go home, teach your kids (or someone else's), help them be successful.

Finally, I think we would solve societies problems far quicker by increasing love, parenting, attention, and patience than we ever will by increasing government intervention, budgets, or policies. I don't really care if it's the men or the women, I don't care if it's 24/7, or everyday after quitting time, but someone needs to pay attention to the home, to the children.

It's far easier to raise a kid up right than it is to fix an adult.