Pretty Little Boxes

I followed a blog rabbit trail tonight and ended up commenting (which I rarely do) and I starting thinking about labels. Mom, Wife, Feminist, Cheerleader, Athlete, Pro-Life, Pro-Choice, Traditional, Democrat, Republican, Christian, Atheist. We attach a meaning to each label. We often pre-judge a person based on the meaning we have attached to their set of labels. We tie a person up in a pretty little box and think that their labels define them.

Every year I travel with a group of women and with these women I have a fun, relaxing, refreshing weekend. I couldn't tell you most of their religious affiliations, political stances, parenting philosophies, or ethical beliefs. This group of women have managed for the most part to put aside the labels, to step out of the pretty little boxes constructed for us or by us and just have fun together. Because the labels really don't matter, the labels aren't what make us who we are.

It can also be easy to label our children. She is the artist, he is the athlete, he is aggressive, she is sensitive. I enjoy watching my children push against the labels. I will admit to surprise when little Hannah wanted to play football because she is just so "girly" but then that was my own prejudice. Who says that you can't be girly and tough, who says you can't paint a tiara on your football helmet, to cheer one day and play football the next? I don't want any of the kids to define themselves or others by a label. I want them to appreciate each person and themselves for their true identity which goes beyond labels and pretty little boxes.