My Mom was a Woman's Libber

The definition of a woman's libber is --a woman who advocates woman's liberation movements; a feminist.  My mom believed that women should go to college and prepare for a career, as well as preparing for a career in home science (in my day it was called Home Economics.)  She wanted to be a teacher, a nurse, a farmer, a musician, and in later years a missionary.  When she was graduated from high school as valedictorian of her classical major class she received a scholarship to Whitman University in Walla Walla, Washington.  At that time she didn’t have the funds for room and board.  She lived at home and went to work at a bank and saved her money and finally was able to attend the University of Washington for one year.  After age 65 she completed her two-year degree taking music and art classes. 

Whether she realized it or not, she did end up being all of those things that she wanted to be, as she was a wife and a mother to 5 children. She breastfed her babies when all other moms were bottle-feeding.  She didn’t buy in to scare tactics like ---your children will become juvenile delinquents if they read comic books.  My older brother read all the comic books he wanted to.  When all the Baptist kids were told not to dance my mom signed me up for dancing lessons.  When the Baptist kids weren’t going to movies my dad would take a Microbus full to drive- in movies.  My parents would pray and then do what they believed.

 I was never encouraged to prepare for home making until I went away to college. Then my mom suggested I take Home Ec but I had no interest in home making, cooking, decorating, having children, (I had two wild little brothers that I couldn’t deal with and was expected to babysit them when my mom went to work or was in the hospital several times with pneumonia.)  I’m glad I had the mother I did as I could go fearlessly away from home at eighteen.  I had a good experience in college, got a good teaching job, and was married to my best friend from college, all because my mom set the example.  

That being said I think that Jesus was the first women’s libber.  He had no qualms about talking to the woman at the well, Martha and Mary, the woman caught in adultery, and many other women. Lots of Jewish men in those days would thank God they were not a woman and wouldn’t even be caught dead talking to one!  Because of Jesus women are valued as well as men!