It's tough being a woman

... that's the subtitle to a Bible study on Esther, by Beth Moore. I would love to do a real study on it sometime, but right now, I am just breezing through it, sniffing up whatever stands out and seems to call to me.

And yes it IS tough being a woman, but I really don't like whining. Whining will get you no where in my book. I tend to be the "suck it up" type of woman, but time and time again, I fall into the whining pit myself.

I honestly think that being alive is tough. Being a human is tough. Whatever path you are on, life will be tough on you every now and then. And tha't why a study on Esther could come in handy. It could be enlightening to hear from some else how they got through tough times. And believe me, Esther knew tough times.

So far, the study has talked to me about standing in the shadow of other women - how hard that can be, trying to live up to someone elses standards and merits. And it dawned on me slowly that often, I stand in the fictive shadow of others. I never ask about their expectations, I just assume that I know what they expect of me. I assume that others expect me to be like so-and-so, but I never ask if that is true.

What a sorry burden I put on myself, and I have a feeling I am not the only one to do this. Take a minute or two to reflect on this... whose shadow are you in? Is it real or just based on your own assumptions?