I don’t mind being told I have “an attitude” I’ve learned that’s not always a bad thing. What has been getting me down and breaking my heart is the lessons I’m having to teach the next generation of young women.
I’m having to tell them over and over again that their strength will be mistaken for rudeness. I’m having to reassure them of their capabilities. I’m having to teach them the value of always being true to themselves because most of the times the world will tell them that they are better when they don’t give their opinions honestly and just agree. I’m having to tell them that this reality is not changing anytime soon and their patience and limits will be tested over and over again. I’m having to tell them to keep their cool because if they lose it they are labeled, not taken seriously anymore no matter how intelligent or capable they are. I’m having to tell them to not second guess themselves because they are being questioned. I’m telling them to stop apologizing for mistakes they haven’t made.
In the end I remind that one day it will get better and they will be respected and appreciated for only their talent and hard work. No one will notice their gender. Hold on a little longer. That’s what I wish I could tell them.
Instead I give them examples from my life; at 45 years old, 20 plus years into my career I am still questioned and second guessed. As a mother I’m undermined by friend and foe alike. I tell them this is our reality. Learn to live in it, accept it, be emboldened by it. Never give up because someone else tells you to. Keep doing what you do best. Today I wake up in a slightly better world than I used to 20 years a go. I promise, your children, your young will wake up in a better one because you didn’t give up.
To Whom It May Concern 