While our kids were at school, three of my girlfriends and I escaped for a simply decadent afternoon at the swimming pool.
As I packed lunches and checked book bags that morning, I had a silly grin on my face because I was looking forward to playing hooky with my friends.
As my seven-year old daughter, Grace climbed in my SUV, she spied my pool bag. She was completely perplexed and wanted to know why the pool bag was in my car. Did I not realize summer was over and school had started?
When I explained that while she was at school I was “retreating” with my friends to the pool, her expression was priceless. She was completely aghast that I would consider going to the pool without her. Today I was not only going to the pool without her, but I was going to the pool while she was in school!
Today was just for me and my girlfriends. It was on this glorious day full of “girl” time that the conversation turned to a topic of stereotypes.
My friend Linda, a mom of two teenage boys, shared how she used to enjoy watching “chick flicks” with her boys. She complained that her husband had teased their boys about watching such fluff. Now the boys refuse to view a romantic comedy, so she has to watch them alone.
I wanted to chime in as my other friends empathized with Linda, but I had a realization about stereotypes. You see, only the night before, Grace had sneaked off downstairs to cuddle with her dad and watch Mixed Martial Arts. I found her up past her school night bedtime and scolded her! I scolded her not only for the late hour but how could she watch fighting!
It was one of those incidents that I didn’t give much thought to afterward.
Now I realized what a double standard I was carrying around. I had chided my daughter for watching Mixed Martial Arts while wanting to empathize with Linda over her husband’s insensitivity. Going forward, I vowed to encourage this father-and-daughter time.
I still don’t get Mixed Martial Arts, but now I smile when Grace says, “Let’s watch fighting, Dad!”
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
