I try very hard to never get into politics here on the blog. Ever.

Or really, in most situations in life as I don’t think it is either relevant or necessary to bring up. And I say this having a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, or what is essentially a 50% Political Science and 50% Economics degree. My, how things have changed.

 

 

I’ve even gone so far as to lay ground rules down with my roommates about never bringing up any political topic (mostly because we disagree on just about everything and we value harmony in the home more than convincing each other one opinion is better than the other). But today, I just couldn’t help myself. I’m bringing it up. Because there is a question that has been making its rounds in all of my social circles lately and I most definitely have an opinion about this particular topic:

What does it take to be a strong woman?

A few weeks ago, my roommate had just participated in a seminar that had a lot to do with this topic and when I asked her about it, we had a really great conversation around what it means to be a woman AND to be strong, AS A woman.

 

 

And here is what I believe about that:

 

You can be feminine, and still be a strong woman.

You can want to take your husband’s last name, and still be a strong woman.

You’re a strong woman if you move to a new state or country to follow someone you love.

You can give up your promising career to be a stay-at-home mom and still be a strong woman.

Conversely, you can be a CEO, and still be an INCREDIBLE mother AND a strong woman, all at the same time.

You can be an artist, or a police officer, or a nanny, or join the military, all of which are careers pursued by strong women.

 

 

You can also like chick-flicks, getting pedicures, decorating, and shooting your grandpa’s .38 mm pistol on the weekend.

You can run Spartan races on Saturday, then want to wear a sundress and style your hair for church the very next day.

You can want to have no children or ten children.

You can have whatever you want, dress however you want, be whoever you want, and believe whatever you want, AND STILL BE A STRONG WOMAN.

 

 

Because at the end of the day, the thing that makes you a strong woman is knowing what you want and pursuing what you want, simply because it’s what. you. want.

So whether you want to live the 1950’s housewife dream and have dinner on the table when your husband gets home, or you want to be single for the rest of your life, or you want to be married with three fur-babies, ALL of these paths can and have been followed by strong women.

Just own it. Because the key to being a strong woman is not your career or your hobbies. It is simply knowing what you want, having confidence in that, and believing in yourself.