thefamily

This last week I tried to keep the womanhood quote in my mind as much as possible.  I hoped that as I reflected on it, my actions and voice would gradually become softer and more gentle.   I also took the opportunity to watch other women, those around me here in Ohio.  I also reflected on the women I’ve left behind in Utah, Texas, and other parts of the country and world:  my own mother, my sister, and grandmother (I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately), my dear friends I’ve so recently moved across the country from.  I also thought about women in the public eye, those in Hollywood and government.

I didn’t bother comparing myself to these women, there would have been no point to a comparison, but I did try to compare myself to where I was six months ago, a year ago, three years ago and three weeks ago.

When the feminist movement began taking hold in our society, many women felt the need to show men just how “manly” they could be.  Language, manners, and morals began to slip.  With each generation they have fallen more and more.   It used to be that a woman who used swear words was looked down upon, that a woman who showed a “little too much skin” was seen as improper and lost her place in “good society.”   Women were seen as the heart and soul of their homes, making it a haven from the busy, hectic world.  Many women today no longer feel the need to take care of their homes in this way and instead expect their families to bend to their whims.

The other day I was at the store looking for ribbon for a project.  There was a young woman in the aisle with me who was looking for something.  When she couldn’t find it, she swore.  She didn’t yell it or even say it loudly, but it was loud enough for me to hear from a few feet away.  I cringed.  Everytime I hear a woman use inappropriate language (not that men can use it and there be no problem, I just have a harder time when it is a woman) it hurts my heart.  It is worse when it is teenagers using language such as this.    On more than one occasion I have asked complete stangers to watch their language.  Usually it is when my children are with me.  I of course don’t want them picking up those words into their vocabulary and so I make sure that they understand that there are words that are unkind and rude and that those words are not to be used.  Some of these times have been without my children, because I have the right to go into a public place and not have to listen to crass language while I am there.

There is so much more I’d like to cover on this topic, but time doesn’t allow it today.  Send a comment and let me know your thoughts on this topic.  Start standing up for women in the home, starting with your home.  Let it be a haven from the world, a place where your family wants to be.  Be the heart and soul of your home by setting a happy, loving tone.  Be an example to your children and to others.  Show refinement and kindness, gentleness and virtue and don’t mistake coarseness, rudeness, greed, vanity, and popularity for what they aren’t: firmness, assertiveness, care for oneself and one’s family, and love.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS