I’m sure we’ve all heard it. Maybe we’ve even said it ourselves.
“That kid runs like a girl.”
“Stop throwing like a girl.”
Have we ever even stopped to consider exactly what that means? Or sounds like? Especially to a young child.
Growing up, I never realized how much of a tomboy I was. I climbed trees, rode bikes, and played every sport I could. And my friends did too. That’s just the way it was.
Frilly dresses and tea parties with dollies just weren’t aren’t my thing. (God definitely knew what he was doing when he gave us two boys!)
In any case, it saddens me that there comes a time when doing something “like a girl” is an insult.
If you haven’t already seen this video sponsored by Proctor & Gamble’s Always, please watch. It’s touching. (And, no, there aren’t any awkward pad or tampon references in it either, in case you were wondering).
Even when I was playing basketball in college, I distinctly remember one of my teammates refusing to use the word “girls.” Her encouragement always came in the form of “ladies” or “women.”
Granted, I went to a liberal arts college with many feminist-minded people. Maybe that’s why stories like these always strike a chord with me.
Shoot, I met my husband in a Women’s Studies class! (He needed to fill a social science requirement and a whole semester of the Adventures of Lewis and Clark wasn’t exactly what he wanted. He even jokingly said he took the class to meet a girl. And he did…)
Like a girl. Like a boy. Like however YOU are. Why do we always have to create divisions?
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
We are one. One human race. Running and throwing and fighting – each in our own unique ways.
If you are a woman, move however you naturally move. But certainly don’t get caught up thinking you are “supposed” to act or move in a certain way simply because you are female.
If you are a parent of a little girl (or grandparent, or neighbor, or teacher…) well, let’s just say if you KNOW a little girl, please encourage them to be active, strong, bold, joyful…
And maybe just tuck this little message away. Keep your ears tuned in to conversations. If you hear someone complain about (verb-ing) “like a girl,” maybe set the record straight.
Like a girl can mean win the race. Like a girl can mean amazing things.
Have you ever witnessed a “like a girl” comment? How do we change the connotation of that phrase? Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Everyday Faith + Fitness 