Dear Cynthia | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Dear Cynthia | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ellen Carr
07/31/13
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Dear Cynthia,

How are you? I'm starting with a whinge. Sorry! It's about that Proverbia Perfect! I'm sure I've mentioned her before. That woman! She makes me so mad.

I call her Prov for short. She wouldn't approve of course, being perfect and all that. But, then again, she's so forgiving that she probably wouldn't care. She'd just smile and shrug it off. That's what's so infuriating about her. She's purportedly perfect, and she's always being held up as an example.

Cynthia, do you get up while it's still dark to get your family's food organised? I don't! But Prov does. She's up before dawn getting food ready for her family. Of course, she does have servants. But, do they help with this early morning madness? No! She even gets their food ready for them. Would you believe it! And, she orders in the best food. I bet she doesn't pay premium prices either because apparently she's a good business woman too. But more about that later.

What really annoys me about this woman is that she's good at everything. No-one should be that multi-talented. She's into making things with wool and flax - mainly clothes for her family. Who has time for that these days! Well, she even makes the fabric! Her family are all dressed well - very well in fact.

Do you like housework Cynthia? Of course you don't! Neither do I. But Prov seems to love it. She gets stuck into it vigorously and, though she's wonderfully elegant (of course), she's strong and she gets things done. I bet there's not a cobweb in her house, or even on her front porch. Talk about making a person feel inadequate! Of course she does have servants, but even so, they say she does the lion's share of the work herself.

Now, you'd think that she'd be the epitome of the stay-at-home wife wouldn't you, with all that cooking, shopping, sewing and cleaning. But no! She buys and sells property and makes a profit out of it. It's said that she grows grapes too - for profit of course!

Are you starting to see where I'm coming from? It's not that I dislike the woman, it's just that she's held up as an example of the perfect woman.

Remember, I told you she's up with the birds. Well, that's only half the story. She burns the candle both ends. She's up late at night working away by the light of a lamp. Doesn't she get tired like us normal mortals? I'm usually falling asleep watching TV in the evenings these days.

Sorry to keep on about this woman. I guess I could accept that she's just a super-organised person with an amazing amount of energy if I knew that she had a few flaws as well. We all have flaws don't we? Of course she must have flaws.

Perhaps, I thought, she can't get along with others. Maybe she shoots her mouth off and says silly things. But, Cynthia, she has no flaws! She's generous to poor people, she exudes dignity, she's wise in what she says, and she's not anxious about the future. She's a godly woman and her children call her blessed.

What about her husband you ask. Surely the poor man is intimidated by this paragon of virtue. But, no! Wrong again! Her husband also calls her blessed. He has complete confidence in her and he's always praising her.

Look there's got to be some chink in her armour. Surely the other guys think the husband's hen-pecked by Mrs Perfect. But they don't; they respect him!

This woman is put up as an example of a what a woman should be. It's said that she's worth more than rubies. So where does that leave us Cynthia, you and me, the women who muddle along, who sometimes mess things up, who can't be super-women? How does Prov make you feel? She makes me feel pretty inadequate.

Apart from all that, we're all well here. I've been doing a bit of weeding in the garden. We're having take-away tonight because I'm whacked. No Mrs Perfect here I'm afraid! Looking forward to seeing you when you come down next month.

Much love,

Wendy

PS. I've just heard that Proverbia Perfect is a fiction. She's a compilation of the noble character traits to which women are urged to aspire. No-one's meant be quite that perfect, just the best we can be, with God's help.

(Proverbs 31:10-31)

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