More females than males are enrolled and graduating from college. Woohoo! Go us! But, have women ditched the nurturing mother and dutiful wife society pushes upon us? What makes up a family? Who decides?
Society has constructed this idea that women must produce offspring to feel complete, whole, and fulfill our genetic duties as a species. So, I asked spoke with a recent graduate (December 2015) with her M.S in Digital Media Studies at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Here is what she said.
“Did you realize from an early age you did not want children?”
“I wouldn’t say that I never wanted kids because I was taught to play with dolls and treat them as our children. I realized that I didn’t want to be another statistic (uneducated hispanic female in the south with 3 children) when I entered high school and I strongly hold to that belief today. That is why I chose to pursue my academic degrees.”
“Do you feel your educational career, goals, and aspirations have impacted your decision?”
“Absolutely! It is because of education that I chose to remain focused on the ultimate prize; not being just another statistic.”
Good news, we can choose! Uh-oh, one problem, how do we stand up to the naysayers?
You know those we love the most, our parents, family, or friends who just do not get it. It being our complete and absolute civil right to acknowledge our own wants and needs over society’s ridiculous idea of what a woman should and should not do. My friend had a few ideas
“I cope by reminding myself that I am the first in my family to have a degree higher than a high school diploma, Associate’s degree, and Bachelor’s degree and that I did it by myself without their support. I handle their comments by bragging about my successes as they reflect on their children’s failures
Well, tell them the truth, our education is more important, our me-time is worth experimenting, now not later. Girl’s just want to have an education. Even if you choose to settle, marry, or cohabitate with a partner now, two individuals who care, appreciate, communicate and love each other are still a family in my book, what about yours?
Let’s not forget, some couples can’t reproduce. Constantly bothering a couple that says they aren’t ready or aren’t going to have kids may not be doing so willingly.
So, follow along as we, as a society, accept their decisions, appreciate their ambition and watch them grow into tomorrow’s leaders.
Who makes up your family?
Dogs, cats, birds, iguanas, and imaginary friends count too; everyone deserves the time and luxury to define their own version of a family in their own way and on their own time.