Beauty & the Beast
I’m rerunning an old post here. I could not let this pass-all this talk about a movie. There should be so much more concern with the fairy tales we tell our children. We talk about wanting our daughters to grow up to be self sufficient. We pretend we want them to be doctors, lawyers and CEO’s. But do we really? I know this will not be a popular post. I realize I’m in the minority. But let’s give our daughters and granddaughter less fairy tales and more real-life dreams.I love Disney as much as the other girl. I played with Barbie’s. I dressed up like a bride and had “weddings” in the backyard as a child. I daydreamed like most girls do. As a grandmother now, however, I’m beginning to wonder if we’ve carried this fairy tale message too far.
How many women do you know who married a man thinking he was so masculine and so manly only to find themselves in an abusive situation? Do we teach our daughters that men will change? Do we give them the wrong idea? Do they get the message that they can marry a beast and he will become a gentleman?
- I hope we teach them to be feminine without directing them into harm’s way.
- I hope we show them that you can be a woman without being overpowered by a man.
- I hope we don’t let them think they should look like Barbie.
- I hope we guide them into a confident career of their own so they don’t feel they must find a man to support them.
- I hope our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, all grow up to become lovely brides, wives, and mothers if they choose.
Fairy tales are fun. Real life is not a fairy tale.
Gail holds a degree from Lamar University in Speech and a Master’s from the University of Texas. She married Sam after raising three children as a single mother. She was an educator in regular and special education for eighteen years, finishing her professional career as a Braille teacher. In 2007 She founded SMORE for Women. SMORE is a nonprofit association whose goal is Single Moms, Overjoyed, Rejuvenated, and Empowered. Gail leads a SMORE Sunday Group here at Calder and manages the ministry that offers DAYS of Blessing and Retreats for single mothers. SMORE has a website at www.smoreforwomen.org and Gail writes a blog at www.smoreforwomenblog.org . Gail’s stories have been published in several Christian books and magazines.
Gail Cawley Showalter 