Is this what little girls dream of?

Romy Macasieb
Aug 26, 2017 · 3 min read

I try reading to my 5 year old daughter every night. If she tells me she’s too tired, I pull an, “Okay sweetheart, you don’t have to read. But daddy still wants to read so I’m going to read okay?” Wherein I pick one of her books, lay there and read, in hopes that she’ll follow along. The best part is that she always does. So there we are, lying in bed with our sides snuggled closely, flipping through the pages of a book held up high.

This night was special. My “I’m too tired” little girl was surprisingly engaged. With the turn of every page came new questions.

“Daddy, who is that?”

“Daddy, is she a princess?”

“Daddy, did she do that?”

Princess Leia sneaking in to save Han Solo. She turns the book in excitement to show me.

Once we finished the book, she jumped up, sat down, and started to read the book herself.

The book was STAR WARS: I AM A PRINCESS

As she was reading, I saw her eyes wander from picture to picture. The pages focused on a woman who was no ordinary woman, but a princess, warrior, and leader, all at once. She was able to be all of these things, while carrying a smile.

It made me wonder…

Is this what little girls dream of?

When I was a child, I wished I could outrun a race car, fly through the sky, or sneak around while invisible.

Why? Because I knew these things were unattainable. I wanted what I couldn’t have.

Of course, these weren’t unique to me — my friends shared similar stories.

We weren’t intrigued by books with male presidents. We weren’t phased by stories with men who saved people. I mean, we enjoyed these stories, but they were…standard. Assumed, even.

So, what does that mean for my daughter? If we grew up excited for things out of reach, is that what she’s feeling, too? Sitting there marveling at Princess Leia — a warrior, leader, and hero. Is she turning every page thinking,

“…this could never be me.”

Because, if this is the case…Fuck, we have a lot of work to do.


My ask to the men fighting for what’s right… Continue fighting for equality even at the expense of tipping the scale heavily in favor of women. The scale has been tipped in our favor, for like, forever; we must swing it back to find balance. Remember, a major step to equality is support and inclusion.

But just as important, I ask that you start teaching your boys, too. After all, one day they’ll be men. Sow the seeds of what inclusion, equality, and respect means, and we might have a bright future ahead of us, yet.

I’m thankful to all of the women and men paving the way for the next generation of girls. It’s because of you I remain hopeful that my daughter can aspire to be an engineer, athlete, or even President, without feeling like those are uphill battles not worth fighting.

You have my deepest gratitude.

To the women — please continue pushing for what’s right. We’re by your side.

To the men — we’ve got shit to do.

Signed,

A father who wants his Dream to achieve her dreams.


Women reading this post:

Please let me know if there are places I’ve misstepped. A common issue with men is that we act like we know women more than women know women. Having a little girl doesn’t mean I know what little girls dream of …but I‘m trying to understand.

Teach me. Thank you. ❤


The book we read was “a Little Golden Book — STAR WARS: I AM A PRINCESS” (yes! a Little Golden Book is still around!)

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Romy Macasieb

Written by

VP Product @walkercobrands (makers of @bevel @formbeauty). Head of Product @thislife (acq by @shutterfly).

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