On Her Throne

From Timeko












It is fascinating that at 20 months, this little girl sees me with a camera and automatically knows to smile (without being prompted). As I hand her the tiara, she knows to put it on her head and stand perfectly still (so that is doesn’t fall off). You could say, “without a doubt, growing up I was a princess at least that’s how I was treated and that’s what I was told.” Personally, I can remember posing for many pictures with tiaras and purses and having pink walls with purple curtains. It was not enough to have my name across the wall in my room but to have sparkles and stars around it as well. I can remember at a very young age saying to the boys “I can’t do that I’ll mess up my dress, I’m a princess!” In actuality, I really wanted to run into the house and put on a pair of blue jeans . This is just one example of our society treat girls like little princesses. We put them in cribs and surround them with soft things to protect them from the outside world. Parents provide their girls with all the glitz and glamour in their room. Hoping, “maybe they won’t want to explore beyond that.” Everything about rearing little girls is soft, gentle and delicate. Parents don’t let them figure out problems on their own and when they get hurt, parents teach them to look for someone else to make it better. We wonder, where did the phrases “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” and “sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of” came from? The pink frilly dresses and the beautiful bows in the hair, clearly say, “be careful proceed with caution because I’m a girl.” As we watch our mothers gently and methodically, line up our baby dolls, stuffed animals, wash and fold the laundry, prepare meals, and clean the dishes; we learn quickly, “this must be our role in life.” In addition to the previously mentioned responsibilities, we must be sure that we don’t forget to sort out the problems within the family. As you lay in bed at night, asking yourself, “did I figure out my own problems?” or “did anyone ask me how my day went?” We must remember to put on our tiara and smile for the camera (just like when we were little girls).