Be Wonder Woman, My Sweet Girl

My sweet girl, I watched Wonder Woman the other day, and I had a few things I want you to learn from it:

Be yourself

You see, so many girls feel like they need to conform, to talk like everyone else, dress like everyone else, and act like everyone else. But it is awesome to be different! The world is a beautiful place because we’re all different. Wonder Woman isn’t impressive because she decided to conform, she’s celebrated because she is her own person and she owns it!  Find the things you’re good at and work hard.  Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks about it, just worry about whether or not you love it.  

And while we’re talking about being yourself, as long as you’re living in my house, make sure your “self” is properly covered. Wonder Woman is great and all, but she needed a little more cloth on her body!

Sometimes you have to make the sacrifice

When Wonder Woman is faced with the horrors of WWI and she’s told that she couldn’t save everyone, she retorts “I have to try.” She saw an impossible situation, but she knew that it needed to be done. Those people needed saving, and she was the woman to do it, regardless of the danger she was facing. So she did it, and she saved the town. Someday, my girl, you will find yourself facing impossible odds and the sacrifice will be great. Maybe you’ll have to have a serious talk with a good friend that could ruin your friendship, or you’ll have to confront a boss or coworker and you could lose your job as a result, or you may find yourself needing to save someone in physical danger like Wonder Woman. Please promise me that you will always take a moment and evaluate the stakes: the risks and the rewards. And then, do what you must.  I trust that you will make the right choice. And please always know that I will always be immensely proud of you, no matter what the result of that sacrifice may be.  

Encourage the good you see in others  

While the sniper in wonder woman's adopted comrades had issues using the skill he thought made him valuable, Diana saw and encouraged his true asset to the team. “you can't leave, who will sing for us?” She recognized that his most needed skill was his ability to bring joy, life, and hope- to lighten their spirits in such heavy and dark time.

Jenny Ditch is a nerdy mom in Illinois who loves sci-fi, superheroes, and nerdy board games and can’t wait to introduce her daughter to all those things!