Pardon?

I've been told by a few people that it's surprising that I like children or want to work part time when I have them or that I want them at all because I'm a "feminist." Living in a more conservative part of the country and knowing the stigma the word feminist has, I shouldn't have been surprised. In high school when I described myself as a feminist, a girl who drove me to dance lessons told me that I needed to read my Bible more because those women are a bunch of bra-burning abortionists who don't know their proper place, and that if men would just step up and be men we wouldn't have this whole problem.
Okay, so obviously I don't believe that. I'm not some crazy person who is out to murder every unborn child I can get my hands on. I'm not on the verge of ripping various undergarments from my body and setting them aflame (though at times when I cannot find something that fits I feel like doing it!). I don't hate men. I don't hate children.
To be honest I think that the best term to describe me is egalitarian. I believe that the assignation of a single chromasome has no bearing on ability, intelect, compassion, and has no ability to determine capability. I believe that a person's gender should not determine his or her salary. I also believe that the best person for the job should get it, rather than a company focusing on statistics and appearing female or male friendly.

It shocks me that people would think that for these ideals I would dislike children or not want to spend time with them. My mother raised me believing that there was not one thing I could not do because I was a girl. She encouraged me to do my best and to pursue anything that caught my interest. She did the same with my brother and continues to do so. My mom is also a nurse and often had to work rather than spend time with us. My mother is strong and assertive. At the same time, I have never met someone who works better with children. She was a pediatric nurse for probably close to twenty years and is the first person I ask when I have trouble with a charge. The kids I nannied for last year are absolutely drawn to her and when I was in high school and the children I babysat for drove me crazy, she could come over and fix everything. I'm still learning to relate to young children the way she does.

And this is the woman that taught me that men and women are equally capable.

See guys, not all feminists/egalitarians hate children or are bad mothers/wives. In fact, I would venture to say that the vast majority are more like my mom.