So I confess. I’m still totally #oneofthose moms of teen boys and a preteen girl, asking the boys to hold open the door for females, or help carry heavy stuff.
Maybe I’ve watched Kate and Leopold too many times? Or maybe I just think there’s something good about mutual regard–and about typically “stronger” parties using their strength to serve.
So I was curious how my kids would respond to a bit of local news here in Colorado (that went quickly national): A young man at the state wrestling competition (in our school’s class) refused to wrestle a girl, forfeiting his opportunity to win state. High school senior Brendan Johnston explained to the Denver Post,
I’m not really comfortable with a couple of things of wrestling a girl. The physical contact, there’s a lot of it in wrestling. And I guess the physical aggression, too. I don’t want to treat a lady like that on the mat. Or off the mat. And not to disrespect the heart or the effort she’s put in. That’s not what I want to do either.
As you can imagine, the media went a bit berserk over this one: Was it ego? Was it respect?
Even my kids were a bit divided about what they would do in the same situation. (Onward with the awkward conversations, right?)
Would love your thoughts as we raise both genders to honor one another.
