One of my favorite stories is the tale of Peter Pan.  As an actor, I have always wanted to play Peter, but I grew too tall.  I loved the way Peter was committed to remaining young, not following the establishment and becoming a man.  His conviction of youth impacted his relationships with everyone, especially Wendy.

Wendy never had any intention of staying young.  She was ready to become a woman; she played “grown-up.”  She met Peter and his idealist personality inspired her to go along with him.  While she was ready to be a woman in regards to Peter, she still wanted to have fun.  She was tired of hearing, “Wendy, young ladies do not act like that.”  Peter gave her the freedom to explore other options before  settling down.

For some time now, I have been searching for the perfect bra.  Let’s be honest, ladies, we all want something that is comfortable yet sexy and fits just right.  Well, let me tell you, that is not an easy thing to find!  I was at Victoria’s Secret because I figured a lingerie store should have knowledgeable sales people who can help me find the right fit rather than me going to store after store, searching all on my own.

Anyway, I’m lounging in lingerie and I tell the sales woman what I believe is my size.  She says they don’t carry that size, why don’t I try this that is a smaller number and larger letter.   I am not a novice, but after three kids, bras just don’t fit the same anymore. That advice might do wonders for some women, but it doesn’t work for me.  I knew that, but I tried one anyway.  Who knows?  Maybe I was wrong.  Nope.  Another unsatisfied customer.

I had pretty much given up on ever finding the perfect bra for myself when I was clothes shopping for my children.  I was in the underwear department, picking out new socks.  I looked around and saw the training bra section of the store.  I was amazed.  Those bras were cute!  Padded, under-wire, lacy or smooth, cute prints, etc. And guess what?  They had my size! (Now you know, it was a small issue instead of a large one.)  Perfect.  Now I can wear comfortable yet sexy bras that are just the right fit.  The best part is they are a fraction of the price of those at Victoria Secret and just as attractive.  Well,  that is my opinion.

Now, you are probably thinking, “What the heck does that have to do with Peter Pan?”  Let me explain.  After I left the store with my perfect bra, I started thinking.  I found this in the girls’ department!  The GIRLS’ department.  I am a grown woman, married with children, two girls of my own.  What are we teaching our little girls about underwear? My girls are not old enough for bras yet, but I can’t imagine I will be excited to get them their first bra at 11 or 12 years old that is a padded, under wire, lacy bra that I would wear.  What would Peter think if Wendy showed up in one of those?

By offering these for purchase (and believe me, there were very few of the white with elastic bras on the rack that I remember from my childhood,) are we encouraging our girls to grow up too fast?  Should mothers and daughters wear matching bras?  Sounds crazy to me, but maybe I’m more old-fashioned than I allow.  I want my daughters to experience a slow, natural progression to womanhood without feeling pressure from marketing and peer-influence to become sex objects overnight.  I want them to have adventures with Peter without trying to journey into a world from which they can never return.  It’s not that I want my daughters to remain children forever, I just want them to grow at their own pace, the way Wendy was able to experience.  Is that too much to ask?