4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial


Raising Strong, Independent and Confident Women Requires Sacrifice


Most of my family and friends thought that my daughter would not be able to leave my side without a struggle; however, whenever I left her at the nursery at our church, she was happy to stay and play with the other children there.


It was the children


whose parents left them at daycare all week who had a problem separating from their parents on Sundays. Those children


cried and cried as their


parents pried their little arms from around their necks while my daughter joyously enter the nursery by her own free will.


Today, while in college, my BY ANGELA JONES In today’s society, it is almost


impossible to give our children the time and attention they deserve and that they require. The high cost of living in the U.S. usually requires that both parents work full time jobs. This month, during Women's History Month, I urge women to take a look at some of the sacrifices women in their families and women throughout history have made to ensure the successes of their children. If we want to continue to have a society with independent and confident women, women of today, have to find a way to spend quality time with their daughters and ensure that they receive a quality education.


A child’s education can begin


the moment that he or she is born. A recent study revealed that the sound of a mother’s heart beat and voice boosts brain growth in premature babies. If that is indeed the case, one may conclude that a mother who has to leave her newborn to return to work may be causing the infants brain growth to diminish. Although this has not been proven to be the case, I would rather err on the side of caution and spend as much time with my newborn baby as possible. In fact, children of all ages can benefit from spending more time with their parents.


I do not believe that a girl could ever spend too much time with her parents. Imagine how comforting it must feel to a child to know that she can


daughter still exudes independence and strength. Although she was homeschooled from first grade through high school, I knew she would not have any difficulty spreading her wings once she entered college. She traveled from North Carolina to Northern California by plane, on her own, to participate in a program at Google on more than one occasion since she began college. She also flew alone to Alabama, as a freshman, for an internship interview.


I stress the importance of


education to all young women. Education is key to developing both independence and confidence. With the proper education, one can find gainful employment that will sustain an adequate lifestyle for a woman. When women are able to support themselves, they do not have to put themselves in positions where they can be taken advantage of or even abused. For instance, if a woman is dating a man who is supporting her financially and he becomes violent towards her, she may have to consider how she is going to replace his financial support before she can consider leaving that dangerous situation. On the other hand, if a well-educated woman, who is able to support herself, finds herself in an abusive situation, she will not have to be as concerned about the financial repercussions of distancing herself from her abuser.


If one really cares about their daughters, they will ensure that their daughters are in a position to handle any situation


that


always depend on her parents being there for her whenever she needs them. One may believe that a child who spends a great deal of time with her parents would have a difficult time separating from them but I discovered the opposite was true. I spent practically every waking moment with my daughter from the time she was born through her becoming a toddler.


arises. Handling


any situation is made less difficult when a woman can financially support herself, and if need be, the rest of her family. I sacrificed my career as an engineer so that I could spend time with my daughter while she was growing into a woman. I have no doubt that the sacrifice that led to my daughter’s immense strength, cool confidence and undeniable independence was well worth it.


Volume 9 Number 7


March 2015


Chesapeake Resident Honored for Volunteer Service with Girl Scouts


On Saturday, February 7, Girl Scouts of the Colonial


Chesapeake resident Toni Taylor


with Thanks


Badge for their ongoing commitment,


Coast honored the


leadership


and service to Girl Scouts during the Annual Adult Awards Luncheon held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.


four Girl


Taylor is a leader of Scout troops,


one of which has nearly 50 girl members. She is also dedicated to providing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience


to girls in


at-risk areas, including the Portsmouth Redevelopment Housing Authority. In Virginia Beach, she works with Twin Canals Village to make sure that Girl Scouting is available and supported for girls there, and does the same in Lake Edwards. Last summer, Taylor spent countless hours implementing a financial literacy and healthy living summer series for girls in the Norfolk Parks and Recreation summer camps. With Taylor’s help, Girl Scouts served nearly 300 girls through this series.


“Toni goes above and beyond as a Girl Scout volunteer,” Kim Lincoln,


Small Business FROM PAGE 1


• Improve Access to Credit Capital


• and


Deficit Reduction & Entitlement Reform


• Rein-in the Costs of Health Care • Capital Gains and Dividends • Tax Extender Permanency


• Export-Import Bank Reauthoriza- tion


• National Regulatory Budget Toni Taylor


membership manager with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast said. “She has been instrumental in delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to girls.”


Taylor is always willing to help


out at Girl Scout events and serves as a mentor for new Girl Scout troop leaders throughout the area. She is able to anticipate the needs of girls and volunteers and ensures that girls receive a diverse and enriching Girl Scouting experience.


• Immigration Reform Strengthen SBA Office of


Advocacy "NSBA member-driven Chair is a organization,


uniquely and


our votes dictate what we as an organization focus on for the coming two years," stated NSBA Chair said NSBA


Timothy Reynolds,


president of Tribute, Inc. in Hudson, Ohio. "These priorities extend beyond just our membership: they are on-par with what we continually hear from our broad national surveys."


Source: NSBA


Established 2006 Angela Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor


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