Like many women, I went to see the Barbie movie last summer and loved it. The movie reminded a lot of us of that love-hate relationship with Barbie and the love-hate relationship we might have with being a woman. We blame Barbie for setting an impossible standard, but actually Barbie is just trying to live up to the impossible standard that culture puts on women.
The solution: embrace ourselves as we are while embracing our sisters around us. As Luther said we are each both a saint and sinner. That Lutheran bit is important because I don’t recommend just saying, “I am who I am, so be it.” There are toxic elements in the air around womanhood. We need to be aware of adopting fashion, mannerisms and attitudes that are harmful to ourselves or others. We need to ask, “Why do I wear shoes that hurt my feet?” “Why do I smile and accept a lower salary?” “Why can’t I walk as freely at night as my brother?” But we also can enjoy who we are as we are, whoever we are.
This message is excerpted from “What kind of WELCA woman are you?” by Jennifer Hockenbery from the August 18, 2024, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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