Fragile Like a Bomb

“She was not fragile like a flower, she was fragile like a bomb.” – Entity

I have four almost adult children. The first three are men and they are wonderful. My baby is my daughter and she is wonderful. It is an interesting time in history to be loving and molding and shaping both sexes. Yesterday the focus was on my daughter.

My daughter had her first high school tennis tournament yesterday. She is a freshman and she was ranked number one player for the Girls Team yesterday. She won her match. To say that I am proud of her and in awe of her, is an understatement. I’m a book nerd. My hand/eye coordination could easily be put under the category of clumsy. Her grace and strong athleticism is something that I can only marvel at and beam about. What I liked about her victory yesterday is that it wasn’t an angry, hostile, out to “show the world” triumph. If anything, it was a personal victory for her. She was able to rise above her nerves, her fears, her feelings of intimidation, to do her best, to be her best and to show up and win.

So many of today’s competitions seem to have such an angry component. I know that we still have a lot to overcome as women, as society in general, but still I love being a woman. I love the men in my life. I want my daughter to feel the same way. I want her to experience her victories in life as celebrations of her hard work and achievements, not as superior conquests born only out of anger and frustration. I suppose I have to ponder on what steps I can take now, as a woman, to help create the nurturing support system and cooperative atmosphere that I want my daughter to experience in her life. And then, as a woman, I suppose I have to ponder what steps I can take to help create that same kind of environment for my sons.

“The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender and fierce. Women of indomitable will.” – Amy Tenney