Pretty in Pink - and Muddy Trucks

I like pink.

I do. I like soft pinks and pale pinks and blush pinks and sometimes I like bright pinks.

I have a pink blanket from my small childhood days that still resides in my closet for my sad and sick days. It is full of holes and so worn its nearly see through. It is comforting and soft and fuzzy and pink and mine.

 When I moved home after my Mom fell and broke a chunk out of her shoulder blade I painted my room the palest pink and accented it with gray. The curtains were gray and pink pinstripe.

I like pink.

Most things in my life aren't pink. I have some t-shirts that are pink because it is a good color on me. And I have pink nail polish I wear occasionally. But most of my house is all about red and turquoise and gray. When I think of a little girl, I do think pink. I don't think she will be all "princessed" out just because I like pink or she has a pink room.

I like pink and I was NEVER the Princess.

I enjoy Disney movies and Cinderella and Peter Pan are still my favorites.

I don't care if my daughter(s) play princess. Or have Pretty Pretty Princess and dress up ball gowns that look like Belle's or a pink room with a pink blanket.

 

What I do care about is the additude. Being a "princess" doesn't mean you rule roost, are rude and bossy, or overly privledged. It certainly doesn't mean you get a way with everything simpliy because you are wearing a toy tiara and are just so precious looking.

What stops that "princess" additude is something called parenting. No, I don't have kids, how on earth dare I write about parenting? I have parents. Great ones. I have excellent role models of what it takes to raise kids in them. I can look at myself. I can look at my siblings. I can look at many other kids and see the difference. That is where my opinion and experience comes from. I intend to provide the same for my children as well.

 

So yes, someday if my husband and I look at ultrasound machine and are told "it's a girl!" pink will happen. So will dresses and bows and fairy tales.

I want my girls to be confident in being girly. I don't want them to feel like they have to be a "tomboy" to be taken seriously or thought smart. I want them to not care if someone dismisses them at first glance because they like girly things. It is a natural thing as a little girl to want to dress up. It is a natural thing as a young woman to want to feel pretty.

What I hope to instill into my daughters is where they find that feeling of beautiful. I want them to know it's a beautiful thing to see a confident woman. Comfortable in her own skin. Who demonstrates no need to excuse her glittery high heels or her awesome bow-hunting techniques. Because you can love dresses and shooting. Make-up and muddy trucks. Shoes and paintball.

"As I grew more confident professionally, I realized I could express my abilities just as well in a pink suit, or a neutral one worn with a colorful silk cami." -Ivanka Trump

I desire for my daughters to know that feeling feminine doesn't mean pink and princesses and being arm-candy. But being a strong woman also doesn't mean that you have to distain pink and princesses and dressing up for your man on a night out.

Being a beautiful, confident woman means enjoying the things you enjoy, no matter what it is, and enjoying being a woman. And if you enjoy your things in pink - that doesn't make you a weaker woman. Especially when you can out-shoot everyone else at the police department you work at.