On Monday I was thinking a lot about my family and the roles
we each play. There is me and then my two older sisters and then a
younger brother and a mom and a dad. So my brother was raised by his
sisters really so he was around girl stuff all the time, but that never changed
that he is still a boy. My brother is a great guy who is strong in the
church and even though he was around girl things he just naturally loved boy
things, nothing changed for him. As sisters we would try to toughen him
up and tell him to be strong, like we were trying to play a male role for him
but we are still girls and he is turning out just fine. He is sixteen now
and preparing for a mission and going to school and loves playing spots and
video games and hanging out with girls as well as guys. My parents of
course played a role and to me it was always a lesson and we have always known
what is expected of us. As girls my father has taught us to respect
ourselves and to be ladies, because that is who we are. They both made education
important and have helped us through it. My dad always tells us the
importance of finding a good young man who can take care of us. My mom
always tells us that she can marry who we want as long as they are worthy to
take us to the temple. As for my brother he was taught that it is
important to serve a mission and prepare for it now and to be ready so that he
will be able to take good care of his wife when that time comes. So for
us there was never anything big but we were taught life lessons and knew what
we needed to do. The church was always a major role and my parents
supported us in everything we did which I think is a big deal because we are
all still very active in the church and we are a close family. Something
I find interesting though is that we all were raised by the same parents, grew
up in the same house but yet we are still so different. When we are
talking I am sometimes the one to disagree with the family and I feel I think
different from them sometimes, which isn't bad. That just makes me think
back to that I am raised by my environment but I am who I am, I was created a
certain way and even though I am similar to my family I am also different in
many ways. Another thing that got me is that for chores I remember doing
outside chores more. Well I did do housework but so did my brother and I
was out in the garden pulling weeds and watering it and sometimes I enjoyed the
outside work more. I use to hate mowing the lawn but I do it and I am
okay with it. Which that goes also with now that I am older and go back
home when I am off track or for the summer I am the one usually doing the
chores. My older sisters and moved out, which I will be doing officially
soon, so it is just my brother at home. When I come back though I notice
that when my parents need something done, they will ask me to do it because I
am the one who will most likely do it. When they are at work I try to
clean and get something done so that they can come home to something nice but
even after I do that they ask me to do more. I am not complaining I am just
showing that even though my brother might have a certain "man
role" I was the one doing things because my parents knew I would be responsible
to do it. Sometime yes it got annoying but I would do it. I would
get after my brother too, which he doesn't like and I do feel bad about because
I'm not the mom, but if he got mad at my parents I would get after him because
our parents love us so much and do so much for us that I get upset if people
talk bad about their parents. I really like the commandment of "thou
shall not murmur against thy parents" I think it is so true. Anyways
back to my point is I would try to teach him to be nice and to also work to get
stuff done so that he can be a good husband and father. Also with gender
roles my dad is the one cooking meals a lot. My mom will sometimes but my
dad is so good and taking charge to just help and get it done. My dad
does have a full time job, works in the garden and use to be bishop but he
would still help around the house. I always felt bad though so that is
why I would try to do more of a part around the house. My mom works as
well and does help around the house so don't get me wrong there. My mom
didn't work when we were growing up though, she felt it very important to be
there for us. When it was just my oldest sister born my Aunt use to watch
her but then one day Shantel called her mom and that was the end of that.
My mom quit her job and raised us all until about when I was in junior high
then got a job. She then quit again because my Grandma moved in with us
after my Grandpa passed away and when her demenchia got really bad my mom did a
full time job of taking care of her until she passed away and then got another
job. Another quick point I would like to
hit along these lines is yes my brother was around more feminine things but he
is in no way attracted to the same gender. My brother is more sensitive
but I believe it is because he was raised by girls so he knows girls more, but
like I have said he is still a man. Sometimes, now, I wonder if people
were to get on him what he would be like but he is a great guy and from what we
have learned in class about same sex gender attraction I know I need to look on
people with a more gentle heart and see the good characteristics in them
because I can make a difference in this and I plan to.
~m
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