When One2One asked me to blog about Tori Amos' new music video "Promises" I was a bit apprehensive at first. What did I have to say about mother/daughter relationships when I myself am not a mother and there are no Mother's Day holidays in sight for another couple of months? At that point I realized that Tori Amos' video is not just about mother/daughter relationships, but it's really about women and people relating to one another in general.
Last night my sister-in-law came over and said something I've heard quite frequently from a lot of women over the years: "I don't have any female friends".
Why is that the case? What do women do to one another that causes such isolation among our gender?
This really made me think about how I relate to the girls I watch and encouraged me to think about what it is that I do or say and how it can affect their life outlook. Is there anything that I am doing or saying that could cause them to continue this trend of isolation?
My relationships with the male gender are some of the best in my life because these men optimistically tell me that they will always be there to listen to me and help me without (too much) judgement (or complaint), offering me the opportunity to grow, become more confident in myself, and blossom as an individual. I realize that I may have some very unique (and awesome) male relationships in my life and that not every guy out there is like that (or every girl as lucky as I am), but what if women offered those same promises to other women? How much stronger and more capable would the female gender be?
I try to do that with the kids I watch letting them know that even though I'm not their parent, I am there to fully support them and back their decisions or at least help them get through tough decisions whenever they need me. My support goes for both the boys and girls I watch, but unsurprisingly it is typically the females more so than the males tearing one another down, talking badly about one another, and just simply not being supportive of one another. It's starts as early as elementary school and only gets worse as the kids get older and enter middle school, high school, college … and begin their careers as an adult. This is why Tori Amos's song with her 13 year old daughter is so poignant. It is absolutely lovely to see a promise made between a mother and daughter, a younger female and an older one, that no matter what happens they will always be there for one another.
Today I encourage you to promise someone you love (male or female) that you will "always be there". Whether you are 13 or 82, life is hard enough without consistency, security, and support; let's make it a little bit easier on ourselves and the others in our lives by always choosing to be there for them no matter where their life takes them.
* This post was sponsored by One2One Network. I was not paid or compensated for this post; all opinions are my own. Check out Tori's youtube channel to see more music by her and check out any of the 6 youtube videos created by One2One members that were inspired by the song. You can also follow her on twitter @TorAmos.
** Interested in buying the song? Buy on Itunes, Amazon, or GooglePlay.
*** I'm participating in August Break! Join me! Share a link to your blog in the comments below, so I can see what you are up to!
