Friday, August 21, 2015

The Friday Four, Part 132

~1~

Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver are the first two women to complete Army Ranger training.

These are impressive, strong women who "didn't come with a chip on our shoulder, like we had anything to prove," according to Lt. Haver. Captain Griest says, "I was thinking really of future generations of women, that I would like them to have that opportunity." Awesome.

(Though does anyone else find it a wee bit ironic that they are described by one of their male classmates in the linked article as "physical studs"? ;) )

~2~

In another first for women, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced (via facebook posts by several women leaders) that the women who serve at the head of the three organizations women lead (Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary) have each been appointed as permanent members of one of three prominent leadership councils.

I was mistakenly under the impression that they already were, but apparently, while they had been consulted by these councils, made presentations to the councils, and asked for input previously, this is now a permanent appointment.

'Bout time.

~3~

As a parent and as someone who has worked with teenagers for several years, I firmly believe that, while sometimes correction is necessary, focusing on the good and the positive is by far the more effective teaching method. And there is So. Much. Good. to focus on!

The author of this fabulous post seems to agree:
We, as parents, try to teach our children to be strong and confident and self-assured. We tell you to be kind and brave. We teach you to be strong and fight hard. We tell you that you are beautiful and worthy and valued. We teach you to respect your bodies and demand respect in return. We teach you how to love yourself, despite the fact that we live in a world that might not always love you back, in the hopes that you grow into good and kind and confident women and men. We teach you.
But what we forget is that there is so much that YOU teach us. You remind us what it is like to be brave, if not fearless. You urge us to take risks and jump in. You tell us that it will all be fine if we just don’t look down. You tell us that jumping is like flying, after all. You remind us that we, too, made mistakes and sometimes acted foolishly. Very foolishly. You teach us the importance of second changes and forgiveness. You teach us how to be patient and tenacious, gentle and resilient, soft and strong. You teach us to jump.
And that is one of the reasons I loved working with the young women in my church. They taught me, encouraged me, helped me see the world from a different perspective. And my children do that every day!

~4~

We've been at Yellowstone this week. The best part has been seeing these three hooligans' wonder and awe at what we've seen and experienced (The animals! The falls! The geysers! The hikes! The rock formations! The huge bowls of ice cream!)

Yes, the youngest looks like that in every picture...
Oh, how I adore them!

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