“I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”- F.Scott Fitzgerald,The Great Gatsby.

I would like to start by saying that I do not label myself as a feminist (despite many beliefs that I have that coincide with the definition), nor do I consider myself a “social justice warrior.” I do not get triggered by many things, I do not rally against all men for being sexist, too vulgar, too boy’s club. I try to keep an open mind. I value human rights. I value being kind, and I value equality for everyone. The older I get, the wiser I get that the world is not as fair as I dare dream behind my rose colored glasses. However, I still hold out hope that the world I see now, is not the same my niece, or my future daughter sees.

I hope that she will never have to learn to use her keys as an extension of her fingers.

I hope that she never has to learn that when she walks to her car by herself, she needs to have “wolverine hands.” She needs to have her keys separated between each finger, just in case. That she will never have to think about how fragile she could be without the security of key filled claws. Or the fact she will have to keep mace on a key chain to ward off any bad guys who try to harm her. She should never fear walking by herself to her car, no matter what time of day it is.

I hope that never has to fear the park, the woods, and the trails as she runs.

I hope that when she feels the need to run or take a walk, she can do so without worrying that someone will attack her. She should never have to worry about having a running buddy so she does not get raped while outdoors. She should be able to enjoy nature without an escort.

I hope that she never feels the embarrassment of a cat call.

I hope that she never has to walk down the street and hear unsolicited comments towards her. She should be able to walk down the street in peace. She should never have to wonder if what she is wearing is too provocative in the middle of winter or summer that could have warranted those comments from strangers.

I hope that she can work in a safe environment.

No matter what job she may have, I hope she never has to deal with being groped at. I hope she never has to hear vulgar comments made towards her by coworkers. More importantly, if this should ever happen I hope she never has to be made to feel like a bitch or a liar for standing up for herself by her boss. She should never have to feel like she did something wrong for standing up for herself. Even more, she should never have to fear working with a person like that because the boss does not believe her because she is a woman. No one should ever have to subject to this.

I hope that she never has to work twice as hard to get paid less than her male counterparts.

By the time she is old enough to work, she should be able to make what her male counterparts make. Not the 79% pay to a male’s wage, like recent studies have shown. She should be rewarded for her hard work and her brain, not punished for menstruating every month nor the chance she takes maternity leave later in life.

I hope that she can receive medical care without feeling like the doctors think she is lying.
I hope that she trusts her body. When it tells her something is wrong, she should be able to go to the doctor and being taken seriously. She should never leave feeling as if the doctor thought she was being dramatic because she is a “woman.” Should this ever happen, I hope she has the strength and courage to push for a second opinion. The human body gives everyone signs they should not ignore. Just because the body contains a uterus does not mean that these symptoms are made up.

I hope she has the courage to be herself.

I hope there is never a day she feels not enough. I hope she never feels fat, ugly, dumb, or not good enough. She is more than enough in the ever changing world. She is perfect because she is herself. And on those days, she feels that she is not, I hope she can remember how much the world loves her for just being herself. There will never be a reason she should have to compete with what the media tries to tell woman that they should be. Her brain, her creativity, her quirkiness will be enough to make the world fall in love with her.