Society.

Eyes as crystal blue as the sea, luscious blonde hair, perfectly sun kissed skin without a blemish or impurity in sight. This is what society would call a “perfect” and “desirable” woman...but any woman that doesn’t fit that category is deemed “undesirable” or “less than.”

Staying home to serve their husbands and raise their children while the men are off making the money doing a “man’s job.” That is what society tells women they should be doing...society still tells women that their place is in the kitchen...that because we are women, we are less than. That because we are women, we are more undeserving of those jobs because our “place” is in the kitchen serving our husbands and children 24/7.

Don’t get me wrong, if a woman WANTS to stay home and do those things, she should absolutely be able to do that...but that shouldn’t be the standard that society creates for women...if a woman naturally has or WANTS to have that perfect blonde hair and perfect skin and body, then she should be able to have that...but it should not be the standard that society creates for ALL women.

If your skin tone is a little too dark for society, you are seen as undesirable in their eyes. If you’re seen as a little too overweight to society, you are not worthy in their eyes. If you are a disabled woman like me, you are seen as a freak of some kind in their eyes. Women are deemed unworthy if we do not look exactly like those perfect Instagram models that you see.

Now again let me add, I am not here to shame women for editing themselves...I’m guilty of it myself being an influencer. But, we shouldn’t be trying to pass it off as if that can be a reality for every single person out there. Being in a wheelchair and not having that “perfect” build to my body and seeing all of these Instagram models that did, put me in a dangerous mindset as a young teenager.

I remember scrolling through my Instagram feed and it was picture after picture after picture of these women in their formed fitting clothes and bikinis wondering why I couldn’t look like that...wondering what was wrong with me. Teenagers have enough on their plates, they don’t need that added pressure of trying to be “perfect” and it can be very harmful for them to get into that mindset.

Like I said before, there is a standard for working women...and that standard is that they shouldn’t. I decided this past year that I want to run for Congress and I would be totally lying if I said that I didn’t and don’t continue to have doubts that I can do it solely because I’m a woman...a disabled woman at that.

I’m not here to tell you what you should and shouldn’t be or do, if you want to get lip fillers and Botox, DO IT! If don’t want that kind of thing, DON’T DO IT! If you want to stay home with your kids, DO IT! If you want to get out there and go to work at a “man’s job”, DO IT!

Ladies, we are done letting society tell us who we are. We will not sit down and shut up...we will rise to the top and we will use our voices for good...we will get the jobs that we want because no matter what race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, WE. CAN. ACCOMPLISH. AMAZING. THINGS.