Musings on Gender...

I went to Bountiful Junior High School in the early 80's. (Go Eagles!) I wanted to try out for the basketball team. My mom told me that basketball was for boys! She wouldn't let me try out. So, I decided to try out for cheerleader. After all, cheerleading was "sporty" and required coordination, etc. My family members kind of made fun of me for this & told me that they didn't think I'd make it. My brother Jeff was friends with the head cheerleader though, & she helped me. Needless to say, my family was quite shocked when I made it! I can't even count how many people have teased me about being a cheerleader. (I thought it was a blast, however!)

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I was single until I was 30. I had expectations of marrying younger. In fact, I felt tremendous pressure from my church to be married and to have a family. Lucky for me during those "single years" I finished a Bachelor's degree and then a Master's. (I studied "Family Science" at BYU with 100s of other women. I found it quite tricky to describe to people what it meant to have a degree in "Family Science." Later I studied Education at Tufts. There was one male in our program of 8 people.) I learned how to live self-sufficiently while I was single. I also discovered that marital status doesn't define me.

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During the Tufts 10K this week a woman wore a paper mask of Sarah Palin on the back of her head. Under Sarah's face was printed, "I can see Russia from my house." I have received many emails the past few months pointing out her lack of knowledge politically. On National Public Radio there have been discussions about Sarah Palin being chosen as McCain's running mate based on her gender. Some say she represents typical women. Some say that she is destroying all that women have fought for over the years.

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As a young kid I remember asking my mom who Billie Jean King was. A tiny picture of her, along with her name -- Billie Jean King -- was printed on my tennis racket. Later I learned that she beat Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's champion, in 1973. The tennis match was referred to as the "Battle of the Sexes" and her win has since shaped & changed women's role in athletics as well as women's equality in society.

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What do I want to teach Megan about being FEMALE? What does it mean to be a woman? I take for granted many of the sacrifices made on my behalf by women in history. I can vote, get an education, make as much $$ (or nearly as much) as men. I am thankful for the rights women have earned, but I find it disconcerting that the "Battle of the Sexes" continues to be a BATTLE. I find strength in The Family, a Proclamation to the world . This was written by living prophets. I believe it is true and it clarifies the confusion about women taught via the media. I quote:

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual
premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
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By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.

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I have commented before about my extraordinary husband. We work together to teach our children and around our house to get things done. He takes over the laundry when it gets backed up. I take out the trash when he is coming off shift. He never expects me to make a fancy meal for dinner. He respects my thoughts and my intelligence and he encourages me to expand my knowledge. He takes over with the kids regularly and I appreciate how he plays with and talks to our children. While Brian and I were dating we ran together quite a bit. On one of those runs I challenged him up a slight incline. He was thrilled by my confidence but he beat me by much more than I expected! Of course we each have our strengths. I quote from the Proclamation, "fathers and mothers are OBLIGATED TO HELP ONE ANOTHER AS EQUAL PARTNERS." This is what I hope I can teach Megan --- that God created her as His daughter. I hope that she will care more about what God expects of her as His daughter than what the world tries to teach her about her gender and gender equality.