I think about how often girls (and women) are told by their family, peers, and society to be nice. But are we also sometimes too nice even at our own expense?
How often do we dismiss our feelings, beliefs, and ability to set healthy boundaries in relationships because we are too busy being nice? How many times have we let others’ expectations of us dictate our own?
I learned that “N.I.C.E.” could stand for “nothing is closely examined.” That idea has stayed with me over the years. It also changed the way I behave with my family and friends. I started to articulate my feelings and to set boundaries. At first, it wasn’t easy, but now I know all of my relationships are better off for it. And I am better for it.
What if instead of telling girls to be nice, we empowered them to be just?
This message is an excerpt from a Women of the ELCA blog by Elizabeth McBride. Today we remember the Martyrs of Japan, who died in 1597.
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