We talk a lot about how difficult it is to raise girls. There's so much to be feared when raising girls. Society tells us girls have to fight harder, work more, and ultimately beat the boys in order to get anywhere in life. Men will oppress our daughters sexualizing their every move. Our girls need protecting.
While I don't doubt it is tough to raise up a daughter, it is equally challenging to raise a son. Can we take a pause from the feminist movement and give light to the audacious task of raising boys? Our daughters will only benefit from raising valiant men.
I have three boys. I come from a family of girls. Seriously. I have one male cousin. My husband is the only boy out of five siblings. Although I was a tomboy as a kid, I have no idea what it means or feels like to be a boy. Not a clue. My boys do things that absolutely baffle me. For instance, why-oh-why can boys not keep their hands to themselves? Why is everything a competition? Who cares who gets to the bus stop first. Y'all have assigned seats. There is always something to climb, something disgusting to wipe on a surface it was not intended, some bodily function that is hilarious. Boys are weird. Boys are gross. But boys are also extraordinary creatures.
I love raising boys. I mean, I absolutely cannot imagine my life any other way. My boys love their mama something fierce even though they daily drive me bananas. They are strong yet gentle. Courageous yet humble. Sweet yet smelly.
The narrative tells my boys they are something to be feared. The world tells them they are overbearing monsters but when I look at my boys as they wander sleepily to the breakfast table hair disheveled, I don't see monsters. I see potential. I see world-changers. I see compassion, hope, and a future.
Just like girl mamas, I worry for my sons. I worry this world will swallow them whole. I fret they won't go after something because they don't want to step on a female's toes. I don't like that this world tells them they are predators and that they aren't needed. Girls can do things on their own. They don't need a man.
'The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”' Genesis 2:20-23
God created Adam knowing he would need another half. God knew Adam, while very capable, was not good alone. Thus, he created Eve. When I look at Genesis 2, I see such and intimate portrait of man and woman. Woman was created from a piece of man. She was formed beginning with a piece of her other half. God never intended for one of us to be over the other. Quite the opposite. We are part of each other: man and woman. We are vastly different yet, like a puzzle fitting together just so to make a masterpiece.
I am a strong and fierce woman. I know I can do and become whatever I I desire. I have the stamina and the will to fight for what I think is right for me. I am also strong enough to admit that I need my husband.
My husband and I are vastly different. We have taken those personality tests numerous times throughout our relationship and part of me secretly hopes that our results will somehow show we are similar. Nope. Never happens. We are always on two ends of the spectrum. And you know what? When we come together, we create this space where we compliment each other beautifully. He fills in where I am weak and I do the same for him. He is our stability when I am in an emotional upheaval. I am his softer side when it comes to consoling the boys. We push each other in areas where we need challenging. At the end of the day, we are better people because we have each other. This is what I want for my boys. I want them to know they are better humans because they have girls to complete their story.
I will teach my boys to respect women. I will train them to care for the ladies that come into their lives whether friend, girlfriend, or wife. I pray they see their mom love their father unconditionally coming alongside him as his teammate. I hope they see a woman who is strong yet gentle in their mama. I try to show them that sacrifice isn't a bad word and working hard really does pay off. I pray they see a marriage where a man and woman love each other so much, they are willing to sacrifice their dreams for the other. I hope they see a man and a woman who come together realizing they would be lost without the other when they look at their mom and dad.
My boys are just as valuable as your girls. Until we realize and accept this, we will continue to fight each other accomplishing very little instead of coming together making this world a better place.
God never intended for man to be better than woman or vise versa. His vision when he created Eve out of Adam's side was for two beings to come together united for the same purpose: working together in harmony. We can't have one without the other.
I pray for the world my boys are entering. I pray for the girls who will come into their lives. I pray my boys will lead confidently but with humility. I pray respect is in their nature and that they will care for the women in their lives. I also pray that they will stand boldly in their manhood realizing how valuable they are to this world. I pray they love their wives (if they should choose to marry one day) like their daddy loves their mommy: as Christ loves the church. (Ephesians 5:25). Finally, I pray that all the girl mamas out there teach their daughters that all men aren't monsters; that they aren't something to be feared. My prayer is that we are teaching our daughters to respect our sons just as much as our sons should respect our daughters.i
We need each other. We were made to compliment one another. Let's show our sons and daughters how valuable they really are.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
While I don't doubt it is tough to raise up a daughter, it is equally challenging to raise a son. Can we take a pause from the feminist movement and give light to the audacious task of raising boys? Our daughters will only benefit from raising valiant men.
I have three boys. I come from a family of girls. Seriously. I have one male cousin. My husband is the only boy out of five siblings. Although I was a tomboy as a kid, I have no idea what it means or feels like to be a boy. Not a clue. My boys do things that absolutely baffle me. For instance, why-oh-why can boys not keep their hands to themselves? Why is everything a competition? Who cares who gets to the bus stop first. Y'all have assigned seats. There is always something to climb, something disgusting to wipe on a surface it was not intended, some bodily function that is hilarious. Boys are weird. Boys are gross. But boys are also extraordinary creatures.
I love raising boys. I mean, I absolutely cannot imagine my life any other way. My boys love their mama something fierce even though they daily drive me bananas. They are strong yet gentle. Courageous yet humble. Sweet yet smelly.
The narrative tells my boys they are something to be feared. The world tells them they are overbearing monsters but when I look at my boys as they wander sleepily to the breakfast table hair disheveled, I don't see monsters. I see potential. I see world-changers. I see compassion, hope, and a future.
Just like girl mamas, I worry for my sons. I worry this world will swallow them whole. I fret they won't go after something because they don't want to step on a female's toes. I don't like that this world tells them they are predators and that they aren't needed. Girls can do things on their own. They don't need a man.
'The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”' Genesis 2:20-23
God created Adam knowing he would need another half. God knew Adam, while very capable, was not good alone. Thus, he created Eve. When I look at Genesis 2, I see such and intimate portrait of man and woman. Woman was created from a piece of man. She was formed beginning with a piece of her other half. God never intended for one of us to be over the other. Quite the opposite. We are part of each other: man and woman. We are vastly different yet, like a puzzle fitting together just so to make a masterpiece.
I am a strong and fierce woman. I know I can do and become whatever I I desire. I have the stamina and the will to fight for what I think is right for me. I am also strong enough to admit that I need my husband.
My husband and I are vastly different. We have taken those personality tests numerous times throughout our relationship and part of me secretly hopes that our results will somehow show we are similar. Nope. Never happens. We are always on two ends of the spectrum. And you know what? When we come together, we create this space where we compliment each other beautifully. He fills in where I am weak and I do the same for him. He is our stability when I am in an emotional upheaval. I am his softer side when it comes to consoling the boys. We push each other in areas where we need challenging. At the end of the day, we are better people because we have each other. This is what I want for my boys. I want them to know they are better humans because they have girls to complete their story.
I will teach my boys to respect women. I will train them to care for the ladies that come into their lives whether friend, girlfriend, or wife. I pray they see their mom love their father unconditionally coming alongside him as his teammate. I hope they see a woman who is strong yet gentle in their mama. I try to show them that sacrifice isn't a bad word and working hard really does pay off. I pray they see a marriage where a man and woman love each other so much, they are willing to sacrifice their dreams for the other. I hope they see a man and a woman who come together realizing they would be lost without the other when they look at their mom and dad.
My boys are just as valuable as your girls. Until we realize and accept this, we will continue to fight each other accomplishing very little instead of coming together making this world a better place.
God never intended for man to be better than woman or vise versa. His vision when he created Eve out of Adam's side was for two beings to come together united for the same purpose: working together in harmony. We can't have one without the other.
I pray for the world my boys are entering. I pray for the girls who will come into their lives. I pray my boys will lead confidently but with humility. I pray respect is in their nature and that they will care for the women in their lives. I also pray that they will stand boldly in their manhood realizing how valuable they are to this world. I pray they love their wives (if they should choose to marry one day) like their daddy loves their mommy: as Christ loves the church. (Ephesians 5:25). Finally, I pray that all the girl mamas out there teach their daughters that all men aren't monsters; that they aren't something to be feared. My prayer is that we are teaching our daughters to respect our sons just as much as our sons should respect our daughters.i
We need each other. We were made to compliment one another. Let's show our sons and daughters how valuable they really are.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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