I have seen a meme posted a couple of times on social media that says “Our generation is becoming so busy trying to prove that women can do what men can do that women are losing their uniqueness. Women weren’t created to do everything a man can do. Women were created to do everything a man can’t do.” On the surface, I wanted to like this meme. I don’t want to lose what makes me, me; what makes me unique. I do not ever want to be caught up in trying to be someone else. However, it only took a second to realize that being female is not who I am. Being a woman is a part of me, but it doesn’t define me. It does not define what I am capable of. It does not define my potential. It does not even define my role in life. Being a woman does not put me in a box, restricting me to only womanly things. I get to just be me. And maybe being me means that I do things that people who are male do. Perhaps being me means doing things that other people who are female do. I am unique, but it certainly is not my gender that makes me unique. Heck, +/- 50% of the population shares my gender!
The last line of the meme is the one I really take exception to, “women were created to do everything a man can’t do”. I was not created to limit myself to whatever men can’t do. I do not get the leftovers. I get to do and accomplish everything I want and can do. I do not sit and wait for men to do what they can and then try to scramble up the scraps. I am me. I am not limited by what other people can do. In life, I have found a partner who compensates for my weaknesses and compliments my strengths, but in no way am I only ever doing what is left behind.
The scraps.
The leftovers.
I am more than leftovers. I am strong, I am confident, and I am capable. Sure, my biology means I have the opportunity to choose to experience pregnancy, a chance men never get, but other than that I do not see what boundaries there are put on me by my gender. There are smart women and smart men. There are strong women and strong men. There are creative women and creative men. There are hardworking women and hardworking men. The list goes on and on. Me being a woman has nothing to do with my capabilities.
When I seek for the ordination of women, I am not trying to be like a man. I am not trying to take over for a man. I am trying to reach my potential. I am trying to increase my capacity to serve. I am trying to strengthen my relationship with our Savior. I want to contribute in every way that I can.
I will not just wait for the leftovers.