When Your Strength Becomes Your Weakness

As long as I can remember I have always been a strong willed woman.  With a can do attitude, striving to always do my best.  Sure, it's something to admire in people who are that way but when you throw in stubborness into the mix it turns into a weakness. 

Seriously, I have changed my own oil, tires, painted houses, helped fixed roofs, moved large furniture items I should've just left alone until help came along, shoveled driveways after a blizzard like snowfall...you get the point.  I had to learn the hard way that I needed to know how to do these things because there may not be someone to count on at all times.  Life wasn't always easy for me I had to count on ME.  

Today our area was hit with some bad snow and school was canceled.  I could hardly see my van it was covered in so much snow and the driveway had atleast 5 inches of snow with more piling up just daring some poor soul to come out and try to shovel.  This is where I should have told my 13 year old son who is 5'8" to put on some warm gear and get his butt to work but instead me being the "strong willed woman" I am I went out there in my snow boots, winter coat, hat, gloves and pajama pants.  Even though there are two abled bodied men in my home I allowed my pride to get the best of me.  

Of course I do my best to teach my son to become a good man and treat women with honor and so on.  But while I was sitting at work today it hit me...I had taken away a chance for him to be a man and shovel that driveway for his Momma this morning.  I'm so accustomed to viewing him as my baby that sometimes I forget that he is becomming a man and needs to know there are certain chores around the home he should do without direction...cutting grass, shoveling snow and raking leaves just to name a few.  This doesn't mean that my daughters will never have to do these chores just because they have a big brother I want all my children to be strong and self reliant and gain the know how. 

So with all this said, I had a discussion with my son when I got home today.  I expressed to him how important his role in the house is as a man and that I expect him to own up to it.  I also, apologized for not giving him the opportunity to own up to it today...then I told him to take out the trash.  This Momma knows how to be bossy too not just strong willed.

Yes, sometimes being too strong can be a weakness if you are not careful.  I will not allow my strength take away from my son's chance to be a good man.