As someone who grew up in a single parent household, I saw my mother be the leader, provider, and protector of our home.  Of course when I would visit my father during the summer I saw that, too, but what I saw over an 8 week period didn’t overtake what I saw for the other 44 weeks of the year.  I thought my BFF in high school was crazy when she told me her father told her mother she couldn’t cut her hair. (WDDDA???)  Living in a house with a woman who was fiercely independent and growing up to be her clone, I couldn’t fathom a MAN telling me I couldn’t cut MY hair. 

The Bible tells us that a woman is to be submissive to her husband.  When this topic comes up for discussion with my friends, I always tell them, “I have no problem being submissive, as long as my husband gives me something to be submissive to”, which essentially means that if he is allowing God to be the head of his life and the overseer of our household, I have no choice but to follow him.  But…can a woman be submissive without loosing herself? 

Cooking seems to be a big thing when it comes to the dynamics of a relationship between a man and a woman.  Besides Southern Dad, I’ve only cooked for one other man in my life.  (And it just so happened he called me when I was about to eat dinner and sort of invited himself to my house.)  Cooking is sort of a personal thing for me.  A friend and I are supposed to hang out with her dude and his friend this weekend, and as we were going over the menu, I was stunned for three reasons: 1. This woman is the EPITOME of independence and feminism; 2. This woman embraces cooking, cleaning, and going when her man calls; and 3. Why am I about to cook for a man that I have never seen and probably won’t see again after this weekend??? 

I totally understand wanting and needing to spend time with your significant other, and I have to admit, sometimes I get a little salty when I make plans with my girls, then when one of their men calls, they drop everything and go running.  I have to admit I don’t really like this aspect of myself because I never want to be the bitter, single friend.  And for the most part I check myself because the last thing I need is somebody telling me I’m the jealous chick.  But I wonder if this is a part of being submissive or something totally different.

And then I wonder, will I, Elle, the fiercely independent, “I’m Every Woman”, “I make my own decisions” person, become this woman who submits to a man?  And if I do, will I still be true to the essence of me?  To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I can do that.  Like my mother, I’m a worker.  And like my father, I want things to go my way.  I like to that when I am a part of a relationship that there will be a nice balance of Elle independence and submissiveness.  I never want to ask permission to go anywhere or do anything; I’ll say where I’m going and when I’ll be back.

For those ladies who are married, engaged, or in a relationship how do you remain yourself but become submissive to your mate?  Or do you say to hell with being submissive and remain the same woman you were before you were in a relationship?  Until next time, I’m just a Southern girl…in the city.