I am struck by the contrasts of life as a 21st century woman.
Recently I spent the morning playing flag football and left the field with significant scrapes on both knees and my left leg.
That afternoon I switched gears and co-hosted a bridal shower for my roommate, complete with the requisite games and cute decorations.
The next day I got my face painted with an elaborate butterfly wing at a fall festival. Talk about girly!
An hour later my hands were covered in car grease while I looked under the hood with some friends to figure out the latest issues with my car.
I am sure every woman feels this tension of tough/tender to some degree, but I have to say I think single women feel it more acutely. I don't mean to make this post into a pity party at all. It is what it is. But there's no division of labor in my house; I'm it.
The negative aspect of the resulting independence is that you get so used to doing things for yourself that it's hard to ask for help when you need it. As antiquated as it might sound to today's liberated woman, sometimes it's just really nice to be taken care of. I recently had to put air in my tires (which, I know, is not rocket science), but it was such a welcomed surprise when the attendant on duty offered to do it for me.
Some men argue that they've had women get irritated with them when they tried to hold the door open for them, but those women are few and far between. We appreciate chivalry. We love it. And a small gesture can speak volumes.
