When I was a little girl everything seemed so easy for the adults. My mom (my primary example) appeared to seamlessly juggle being a full time mom, business woman, wife, friend, daughter, author sister and so on. Her whole world seemed to flow with ease, she had friends family, work and a side hustle that she seemed to enjoy. I didn’t think much of it then but now being a real live grown up myself, how she did it all is beyond me. It leads to the question; how do we as women really “Do it all”?
With the everyday stress of work, family issues, relationship struggles and spending time with friends, how in the heck do you find a healthy and fulfilling balance? A girl would have to be superwoman to really do it all. Or maybe it’s just me? I don’t think that my days are any more cluttered or strenuous than the next person (actually probably much less so seeing that I don’t have any babies yet) but does that super girl exist? According to popular media, she does exist and if you aren’t striving to be just like Penelope (lets just call our super girl Penelope…why not?) you may just be lacking as a woman.
So who exactly is Penelope?
Let me tell about her, but if you’re anything like me you’re not gonna like her.
Penelope is beautiful, downright gorgeous even. And not necessarily because she has the prfect nose or the most beautiful eyes but because she’s got it ALL together. Her hair and makeup are always flawless, you’ll never catch her in line at the starbucks with a hair astray or ashy ankles. She’s dressed to the nines even at Target, takes awesome selfies and has the best taste in shoes. She’s got a banging body and she works out and isn’t ashamed or too shy to tell everybody about it. Shes an “independent woman (gag) but has a hot boyfriend whom she doesn’t need and all the guys are googoo eyed after her.
Penelope is sweet and charismatic, always knows what to say, is the best of best friends and the go to girl at work or for any party. She keeps her family tight and her house is always tidy. She always has so much going but is somehow never stressed and stays upbeat, always is ready for the party and never lacking funds. She cooks, she cleans and is everyone’s mom’s favorite. I’m not gonna lie I could probably hit her, but she is “Penelope” and even though she is the perfect imperfect, besides hating her, Penelope makes me strive to be a better me.
So yeah, she’s like something out of a magazine and maybe the ideal of Penelope may make us all a little wacky at times, I think we can all learn something from her. In reality we all can’t be Penelope and I for sure wouldn’t want to, the stress of maintaining her lifestyle would drive me to drink!(more than the usual social cocktail). But being a better woman, not the perfect woman but a better woman and a better you wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If we aren’t growing we might as well be dead right?
So here’s to Penelope, may she forever live in theory but may she never enter my group of friends – we are surely better off without her.
Do you know Penelope?