Happy Birthday, Barbie

It's hard to believe that Barbie is 50 this year, even tougher to admit that I am old enough to remember that my first Barbie did not have bendable legs. I did get the newer version and I remember thinking how awesome it was to be able for Barbie to sit down and put her feet on the floor. Since I couldn't remember how old I was at the time I researched a little Barbie history and the bendable legs came out in 1965. And yes, I had more than one Barbie, plus a Skipper, a couple of Kens and a Barbie play house. Man, I wish I knew where that stuff was now.

I never bought my daughter a Barbie as she was growing up because by then I was concerned about the image that Barbie seemed to represent. I did not want my daughter to grow up thinking that women have to be long-legged, well-endowed blondes to be successful. I wanted her to learn that beauty is a bonus which may or may not last, but that compassion, intelligence, truth, humor, loyalty and friendship transcend any age. I know first hand the challenges that women face, particularly strong-willed, outspoken and professionally aggressive females and I didn't think that Barbie could help my daughter face those challenges.

Well, Barbie sure showed me. She has shown me not to judge based on looks, that beauty can adapt, that a woman can be a NASCAR driver and still own a killer pair of shoes. I've also had to just get over the fact that long-legged, well-endowed blondes are going to be eternally popular. So here's to Barbie -- may she continue to be a cheerleader, astronaut, doctor, police officer or Malibu diva. But mostly, here's to all the females out there who face the daily struggles and survive -- may we each find our inner Barbie and totally kick butt.