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I'm just a Girl...

The other day we were driving, and the song "I'm Just a Girl" came on the radio. My husband told my daughter that it could be her theme song in life.

She replied, "No, this is Mom's song."

And while I've seen No Doubt/Gwen Stefani multiple times in concert, I'm not sure this song really applies to me anymore. 

I will admit that being a girl has its difficulties, but I've found that the older I get, the more comfortable I am with who I am. So as I raise a girl in this world, these are the words of wisdom I tell her over and over again.

  1. Have faith and trust in God. Many things in this world don't make sense. Like how we got to Clinton and Trump as presidential candidates. But if you remain faithful, you'll know that even in the chaos, God has it under control. You don't have to figure it all out. You just need to know that He does, and He has a plan.
  2. Like and love yourself for who you are. Too often we don't like who we are. We try so hard to fit in or compromise ourselves because we don't like what we see. We want others to like us, but sometimes we don't even like ourselves. Find what makes you happy and be it, do it, have it.
  3. Don't grow up too fast. Once you're an adult, you have to do adult things. Some are fun, but some definitely aren't. Stay young as long as possible. Time flies by, and before you know it, you're getting awfully close to being a 40-plus-year-old. Yikes.
  4. Friends will come and friends will go. It's sad that my child has already had many people come in and out of her life. But I remind her that some people are just a chapter in your story. Others will be with you for the whole book. Be a good friend no matter what, and know that if someone doesn't want to be friends anymore, it's their loss.
  5. Be kind. It's hard being kind to people who are mean. Girls can be especially mean and moody. It's often better to turn the other cheek and say nothing than to retaliate. This is something I didn't do so well when I was her age, but I've learned how powerful and hurtful words can be.
  6. Be humble. If you're smarter, prettier, funnier, or able to do something others can't, don't brag. Ever. Don't compare yourself to other people either. We were all made differently, thankfully. Those who constantly boast about themselves rarely gain anything meaningful from others.

Being a girl is sometimes painful, physically and mentally, but being a girl also comes with so many benefits.

We get to be mothers and sisters. We can be mentors and best friends. We get to wear cooler clothes and do fun things with our hair. We have the curves and softness that make our bodies uniquely feminine. Some of us get to bear children, and that's a pretty amazing experience.

We get to prove people wrong when they say, "You can't do that. You're just a girl."

We can be doctors, lawyers, teachers, CEOs, and so much more. We can be just about anything we want to be, and we've proven that time and time again.

We are lucky to be who we are... even if we're "just a girl."

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