WWJD: what would Jo (march) do
In my home on Sundays, we could only watch church movies and a few select others approved by my mom. My favorite of these was ‘Little Women’ (1994). My mom loved Jo. I loved Jo. She was irreverent, stubborn, and spirited- not spiritual- qualities I suppressed as a peace-keeping, obedient, compliant, oldest Mormon daughter.
Despite the media in my home being overly censored and minimized, I credit my mother’s taste in films and stories. Little Women is ‘bible’ to me
bible (noun/adjective?)
1.) Sacred Spiritual Text
2.) (my definition) A piece of media I revisit often, find meaning in each
consumption and never get bored of. My parents maybe wished I’d find this with
scripture (which has proved unsuccessful).
My admiration of these figures seemed conflicted with my spiritual future. When discussing my career aspirations, my father expressed concerns about how they might affect my ability to be a mother. I didn’t get the emphasis. He married my mom when she was 28 (considered ‘late’ in Mormon culture), and she had a career before him. I expressed my frustration to my mom and to my surprise, she supported him because they were an ‘eternal partnership’. Where was the Jo March in her that she had shown me to value?
I wonder if part of her hopes I find my place with those qualities and values. I realized it wouldn’t be in my faith. There was room for men with these stubborn, spirited qualities, like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Glen Beck, or Mitt Romney. But I know of no Jo Marchs’ in the Mormon narrative. I laugh too loud, think too much, and stand too tall. Jo March is not one to shrink.
