My Heroes....

As long as I can remember June Cleaver has been my hero. I know, I know not very forward thinking of me. I suppose not at all the "Wonder Woman" image a child born in the midst of the feminism movement my mother would have hoped Id have looked up to as perfection; but she is infact, my ideal, none the less.

Around the age of 13 my mother rented the movie Gone With The Wind and we sat and watched it together and another hero emerged. The famous, or rather infamous Scarlett O'hara. She was beautiful, spunky, and fierce...

More recently I have to admit I have been smitten with who I think is the PERFECT combo of the two, my June Cleaver with a Twist, Bree Van De Kamp. She can wield a shot gun while throwing a dinner party, bake the perfect pie and turn that same domestic flare into a business all her own. I adore this woman.

Yes people, I know these are fictional characters and I am well aware that they are some sort of ideal of what ever character they were enacted to portray. But art often imitates life, even if exaggerated, or vise verse`. The one thing I have noticed about my particular heroes other than they are all female is their strong ability to take care of others, yes even bratty Miss Scarlett, and not seem to lose themselves in the process. Something I admire greatly in people whether they be fictional or of the flesh and bone variety :)

When you become a mother, or a father, putting things like physical appearance and health sometimes often times go on the back burner. I think its time it goes back over the flame. I think for me it needs to come to a rapid boil. Putting yourself in any area first as a parent is a tricky thing. Just saying that makes me cringe, literally! I'm thinking, what are people thinking if I say that or dare do that? How selfish does that sound? Well, heres my new answer...

I think it sounds no more selfish than me eating so dang much that I cant do the things my family wants me to in the first place. I can take the time to fix me because it cant be any more hurtful than stealing away all this time that I have been fat, robbing them and myself of the opportunity to have so many wonderful experiences. Time to take time for me. What a novel idea.

Taking care of yourself, while being the primary care giver of others I think has always been a struggle for women. Perhaps that's why characters such as these ladies exist. Some sort of projection of the feminine ideals that we hold true but indeed find ourselves lacking is one cause of attraction to such iconic females. Oh fiddledee...

Time to take a cue from three of my favorite ladies. From June I will try to model modesty, gentleness and kindness. From Scarlett I tuck away inside myself her fire, passion and spark. The gift Bree can share is that of the value of striving to be the best you can, even if you cant be perfect, and to do it with style and strength. I'm gonna work on me, inside and out, and in doing so that will be the greatest care I can ever give to those I love.

Who are your heroes? Real or imagined?