29 Apr 2021 Raising Wonder Women

By Megan Lowry

In 2017, I had a 1-year-old daughter who was unable to stand on her own. She didn’t put much pressure on her legs, and we sought help from anyone we could. Lennox was our first baby that made it earth-side, and being new parents was overwhelming at times. I’d watch babies younger than her take their first steps, and I wondered if I’d ever see my baby do that. Lennox was breech when she was born, and because of that, there were some slight early concerns with her hip joints. It turns out that Lennox was already trying to teach me that she’d do things in her own time. Physical therapy didn’t make her walk. Bribes from her parents dangling toys or treats in front of her didn’t make her walk. She simply walked when she was good and ready.

In a lot of ways, Lennox taught me during that time how terrifying it is to both be in control of raising a tiny human and be completely out of control of so much of what they do and when. I’ve tried since then to lead her without forcing her to fit into some box I’ve created for her. There’s no more “she should be doing this by … ” because it just doesn’t work. And the same goes for all of us. Raising kids can be daunting. Raising little girls who will turn into women who are then constantly told how they should be, how they should look, and what they should weigh can seem nearly impossible at times.

As a mama, my heart breaks for all I know she’ll endure just because of her gender. I come from a long line of strong, independent women. But my own walk into womanhood has been layered between finding the balance of holding my own and knowing when I should be gentle. That’s what I want for Lennox. For her to not believe that she’s too much or too little. I think that’s what we all want when we’re raising these tiny girls.

We want them to be confident in their womanhood and to embrace all that being a woman has to offer. We want to teach them that you can be strong and independent and also gentle. There’s no box to fit into here.

While we raise our own versions of Wonder Woman, we must be diligent in keeping that in mind. The world will try to categorize them, so let’s teach them that they can be whomever they choose to be. However they choose to be it.

Nora Ephron said it best: “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”