I don’t consider myself a “feminist” by today’s standards whatsoever; but I do believe that women can be independent and achieve success when they work hard and prove their worth. However, I believe that today’s society should leave room for chivalry and allow men to still be thoughtful.

There’s no reason that men can’t still show women small acts of kindness. Just because they grab the door and hold it open for you doesn’t mean they’re downplaying your physical abilities. The men who are still chivalrous will hold the door for you just to be a good man and do what their parents taught them.

If you consider yourself a feminist, that’s great! I’m not downplaying that label either. I just think that we should applaud the men who still treat women the way they should be treated. Let’s let men open car doors for us, bring us flowers every once in awhile and carry our bags. You won’t be any less of a strong, capable woman if you let them.

Don’t we women all want to be treated with a little extra care? Yes, we deserve to have the same opportunities as men in life, but we shouldn’t refuse a genuine, caring hand from a gentleman when he offers.

I support any other woman who works hard to get what she deserves whether that be in school, in the workplace, in the family or otherwise. But I also support any man who shows respect to a woman just out of pure sincerity. The guys who act generous and don’t expect anything in return are men. The guys who act nice just to take advantage of females are boys. There’s a difference.

Women aren’t the only ones to blame for a lack of chivalry these days. There are certainly men out there who are less than perfect, and who don’t deserve the women they chase. Knowing the difference between being genuine and fake is key in determining whether or not a man is chivalrous. In a world where dating is now demoted to daily text conversations or a nice comment on your Instagram picture, leave room for the men who hold your hands in public, buy you occasional gifts for the heck of it and surprise you with your favorite things.