Be Brave! (Phil 4:8)

I admit it. I'm rather excited for Disney/Pixar's newest film, Brave.
Not because I love animated films (though when I'm in the right mood, I do). Not because I'm a fan of Scotland (I'm not) or folklore (I am, but this isn't a familiar tale). Not even because it's got a spunky female lead (what movie doesn't these days?).
Nope.
I'm excited because the leading lady has frizzy red hair.
Yup. You read that right. I'm excited because of a cartoon girl's tangled tresses.

I'm not sure how copyright works here in the blogosphere, so I won't post a picture from the movie. Here's a link to the official website, though. 

You might not recognize it consciously, but this is a 21st century first. Sure...there have been some frizzy-headed characters in modern movies. Quite often they are the "before." Remember 2001's The Princess Diaries, or even Harry Potter (Hermione became quite polished, rather quickly). But as a rule, today's heroines are always sleek, no matter how improbable (think Hunger Games). Add to that the ever-present Pantene commercials, and what's a frizzy-headed girl to do?

Spend a ton of time and money trying to smooth out her God-given curls? Wear a hat?
According to the previews for Brave, the Princess' mother tries both approaches. They don't work.
Merida, the princess, is who she is, and she's not ashamed of it.

We need a little more of that confidence in our every day lives.
We also need to recognize and represent the diversity that makes the world so glorious. Ethnic and cultural, certainly. I'm well aware that the media has  a huge problem with that. But, I realized this weekend, we also need to glorify the diversity of style and personality. We are not made to be cookie cutter copies of some master template.

What would happen if we didn't buy the stereotypes? If we didn't think every woman should WANT to look like Jennifer Aniston or Halle Berry? If we didn't think all men should WANT to look like Bradley Cooper or Donald Driver? What if we were more interested in the secrets of a person's character than Victoria's Secret?

We live in a media-saturated world. Books, movies, music, tv shows, and advertisements are everywhere, and they are training us, whether we want them to or not. It's how our brains work.

We have to fight back. Meet real people. Do real things. Soak up reality. Let reality shape our perceptions.


Recognize the truth:

Christians aren't always preaching.
Dads aren't all clueless.
Moms aren't all polished, organized, and patient.
Teenagers aren't all irresponsible. Or beasts. Or totally sex-crazed.
Suburban house-wives aren't all (fit and glamorous) joggers.
Singles aren't all hanging out at bars.
Criminals aren't glamorous.

... and not everyone has perfect hair.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

A woman like... her!

There's a popular song on country-radio right now called "A Woman Like You," by Lee Brice. The fella in the song is teasing his wife, describing how different his life would be if he'd never met her. He shares his fantasies about football, fishing, and fried food. Check it out on CMT.com. It's actually quite funny.

What's that got to do with Mother's Day? Well, it's the inspiration for this post.

Look at your moms. Ask yourself, how would her life be different if she weren't your mom?

I can tell you.

She wouldn't have to wake-up early on weekends if she didn't want to. She could hang around the house in her pajamas, sipping and savoring her coffee, until she decided she WANTED to go out. She could read a book. She could sit in the garden that she planted. Or in her comfy chair in the livingroom she decorated lemon-yellow even if it isn't sensible. She could put her feet up. Relax.

When she's ready, she can throw on her "walking shoes," grab her mp3 player, and go for a walk in the park. No one to bundle up. No diaper-bags. No deadlines. No-one to rush back to. She might even stop off for a manicure, massage, or yard sale on the way.  If she gets hungry, she can grab lunch. Sushi? Sure. Salad? If she wants some. Or, having enjoyed a healthy walk, she might indulge in her guilty pleasure, fast food. Why not? There's no-one to set a good example for. Eating out, it turns out, is not too expensive - if you don't have to feed the kids. 

She doesn't always eat out, though. Her fridge is full of all of her favorite things. Fruit. Veggies. Salad dressing. Seafood. Steak. Chicken. Hummus. Yogurt. Cheese. A bottle of wine. There might be some frozen cookie dough in the freezer, between the tequila and the fancy ice-cream. The fridge isn't too full, though. Fresh food tastes best. So she shops by the week. 

Cooking is fun. She has all the high-quality tools to make it easy. There are no  little fingers to protect from the good knives or to keep the glass dishes away from. She can take her time and make tasty dishes. Asparagus is a regular feature in the spring, squash in the fall. There's no-one around to complain about it.

The decorations in her house reflect her taste and style. Carefully chosen over time, there's nothing tacky in sight. If she tires of something she can replace it. The same goes for her wardrobe. Her clothes are as fit and stylish and comfortable as she can find. She doesn't have to worry about sticky-fingers and sensible fabrics. 

She can go out on school nights. If she wants to go to a play or concert, she goes. She can find hobbies and take workshops without checking anyone's dance and soccer schedules. She can go to the movies without taking out a bank loan.  

She can also take off on a whim. She's free to explore the beach, the mountains. She can hike through a fort or explore a lighthouse. She can snuba or ski, hike or hang-glide. She can stay in a cheap campground that doesn't have a pool - or she can stay in a luxury hotel. She doesn't drive with an eye on the rearview mirror.  With a little planning, she can go to Italy. To Australia. Her vacation days get used for vacations not runny noses, field trips, or conferences. She has a travel budget, because she isn't saving for birthday parties, car insurance, proms, and college. It also turns out vacations are much more affordable when you only buy one ticket, and no mouse-ears.

If she chooses to stay home, she can watch DVD's, any time, no matter what they're rated - all the way through to the end. She doesn't have to fast-forward the scary parts or mute the loud ones unless she wants to. She can stay up until 11 watching prime-time TV. Or she could go to bed at 9. 

She generally sleeps through the night. No bellyaches or coughing fits disturb her rest. No nightmare-driven dwarfs burrow into her bed in the wee-hours.

It really *is* a good life. I know, because it's mine.
But you know what? I'd trade it in a minute for sticky-fingers, do-it-myself-facials, homemade art projects, budget stay-cations, and cheap, kid-friendly food.

So, next time you talk to your mom, remember... her life could have been much different.

You made her the woman she is today.

Happy Mother's Day.