OK-
just in case you don't know it, I am a typical female. I fret about my hair. Worry about my weight. Cry because, "I have nothing to wear!"
There are times when we leave for church and our bed is strewn with discarded outfits because they all. Made. Me. Look. Fat.
See, typical.
Well, this afternoon my 7 year old son and I took my 17 yr. old son in to town to pick up his new glasses. It's a 40 minute drive each way, by the way. That gives us plenty of time for those heart to heart conversations boys so dearly love. Or not.
Today we opted to listen to the radio. My teenage son just happens to love Natalie Grant-when we turned on the radio, low and behold, there she was! Giving her testimony. Did you know she used to be bulimic? Apparently she wrestled with bulimia for over 6 years before the Lord set her free. At the end of her story she talked about statistics. She said that 1 in 10 girls struggles with some sort of eating disorder. She also talked about how very deeply, truly, and unconditionally the Lord loves us- no matter what we look like.
I've always struggled with my "self". Feeling like I'm not loveable. I'm not pretty. I'm not good. My uglies are inside and out and I'm a mess and at times I've been pretty vocal about my insecurities.
So, hoping for at least one tiny moment of "deep and personal" with my teenage son, I turned to him and said, "Alec, what's something boys struggle with? If girls struggle with self-esteem, what kinds of things do boys struggle with?"
From deep in the bowels of my huge van my 7 year old son pipes up, (in an exasperated tone of voice) "Boys struggle with listening to girls talk so much about their struggles."
It's probably true that men don't do well when it comes to talking about stuff like this. I know that I don't do well.
ReplyDeleteI have a theory about what men struggle with and how it relates to what women struggle with, but it's probably not right to throw that on the comment section of your blog.
ahahahahahahaha! Gotta love Alec!
ReplyDeleteA man. For sure. Give him his PhD right now.
ReplyDeleteO crumb! I read that wrong!!! It's even funnier that Barrett said it. Rick laughed so hard her turned red. hehe
ReplyDeleteHaha! Oh, Barrett...what a little spark of continual entertainment. As all little ones are.
ReplyDeleteA very philosophical little spark, however...
1 in 10 girls, eh? I'm not surprised, considering the massive media obsession with unhealthy body image combined with the over-saturation of young women with media.
Ladies, we HAVE to get our eyes off of ourselves, our bodies, and other people and other people's bodies, and onto Jesus Christ, and the strength and beauty of His sanctuary. (see Psalm 96, I believe)
*ahem* Little soap box moment.
You see, I used to be a closet anorexic, in the days of ballet. I understand the whole worship your figure, starve yourself, use the scales "weigh" too much, etc.
So I have the insider "freed prisoner" viewpoint on this one.
Tack that on to my list of passions. ;)
Maybe it's number 1185?
Alex
That is amazing. Amazingly accurate, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteAnd dear Judy ... I think you're beautiful ... and I'm not just saying that!