Equipped for Independence

I cook, I clean, I can change a tire because my dad was raising a strong, independent woman. Not because he didn’t want me ever to get married, and not in the arrogance that I would never need a man; he wanted to equip me, because if that man didn’t show up right out of college or after my first job, I would know how to live on my own, independently.

And so when dad was in the kitchen cooking up his famous barbecue sauce for ribs on the weekend, I was right beside him putting in the secret ingredients. And when he was making breakfast on Saturdays, as a little girl, I was in charge of making the toast. And with six kids, there’s no way mom or dad could ever do all that laundry. It started with me separating my clothes into whites and colors, then loading and unloading, and later even folding.

I am the baby girl, even had a nickname of “Princess”, which some would frown upon, but I never had a throne, nor was I treated like a Queen.

Is your daughter being equipped for independence, or will she later in life be a damsel in distress? It’s ok for dad to come and save his daughter now and then, but if another man doesn’t show up when she thinks it’s time, will you play the role, or will you be happy that you raised an independent woman?

Let us know in the comments below.