You know, as women we are often under a HUGE pile of societal pressure to be any number of things: skinny, pleasing, non-threatening, wearing make-up, patient, kind, acquiescent. To me, the bottom line is that we are under this mountain of pressure to really be SEXY. Not some sort of reasonable standard for sexy, mind you. Crazy sexy. Media-hyped, airbrushed, unattainable sexy.

We are supposed to be ladies “in the street” and a “freak in the bed.”

It’s ridiculous.

I read a blog post this morning (you can read it here – http://rlbrody.com/2014/06/13/encouragement-with-a-side-of-tone-policing/) in which a writer was taken to task for her “tone.” Heaven FORBID (yes, I AM yelling, thank you for noticing my caps lock) we should be anything less than pleasing at all times. Opinionated? Unafraid? Ooooooh, scary!

You know, that makes us b*tches or ballbusters. Those same qualities (generally speaking) are what gets men labeled as “go-getters.”

Let me tell you a few basic truths. YOU ARE SEXY. Yes, you. You, reading this – possible in your pajamas still. You are amazing and perfect and beautiful and brilliant and desirable. You have the ability to do something no one else can do: be you.

I know I’m not saying anything shockingly new here. For crying out loud, ladies – screw the images that are force fed to us all day long. Not only for ourselves, but for our sons and daughters.

Lara and I began everything all backwards. There was no safe “dating” and putting on a facade. Nope, we went through my breast cancer together and THEN started dating afterwards. We know how we operate in a crisis. She had seen me bald, bloated, scarred, sick and grasping for awful humor before we ever got all dressed up and went on a date. No superficiality around here. 🙂 She proved herself steady, dependable, and able to ride the lunatic humor train with me when the situation called for it. There’s a lot to be said for someone who can make cancer jokes right along with the patient. Haha!

What’s the result of this? A daughter who bucks every trend: modest in her way, outspoken in her way, and beneath all of that she is unapologetic about who she is. A son who thinks of women as warriors. Because we are.

Be you. Steady, reliably yourself!

Feminist rant over. Blessings to you all…