Me and Logan… fighting the Rancor.

Confession #1: I have now, for the 2nd time in my life, attended the largest Star Wars Convention in the world.

Confession#2: I REALLY liked it… except for one thing…

Two plus years ago, my amazingly nerdy husband asked me if I would go with him to Florida for a Star Wars convention. I rolled my eyes about it for weeks, but after realizing how much it meant for him to be able to go, I reluctantly agreed. When I arrived at the convention and experienced the atmosphere and the people for the first time, I was immediately shocked… I was having a great time! These people are nerds, yes, but they are nerds with passions, hobbies, and goals. And even though I would never be the person to spend the better part of two years creating a life size, screen-accurate Wampa costume, I can certainly appreciate the time, effort, and heart that it must have taken to complete it. In fact, I admire it!  We spent 3 days exploring, shopping, listening, and mostly people watching, and I can honestly say it will remain one of my fondest memories of life before this baby arrives.

So fast forward to last weekend… Two plus years later, and we’re back. This time I was a lot more willing to tag along, even 8 months pregnant! The experience was just as great as I remembered. The costumes were bigger and better. The people were fun. Even the lectures were engaging and entertaining. There was only one thing in the entire convention that I really could not stand. I don’t know why they didn’t get to me last time, but for some reason every time I saw a woman dressed in the “Slave Leia” costume this year I wanted to cry. It genuinely broke my heart.

You see, when I think of Star Wars and Princess Leia, I think of a strong woman who was striving to be her best and do her duty no matter what came her way. She was beautiful, modest, and smart. To me, Princess Leia seems like a prime example of a Proverbs 31 kind of lady. So, with that said, If I was ever to dress up like her you would find me in the white jumpsuit or dress with my hair rolled up on the sides of my face, NOT in a gold bikini.  In the movies, when she is seen in that costume, she is being held captive by the bad guy, Jabba. He’s forced her to wear these garments that leave her vulnerable and exposed. He’s attempted to rob her of the dignity and strength that she normally exudes, to make her feel like an object.  When you watch the story unfold on screen you see that she isn’t celebrating this situation. She doesn’t feel beautiful, powerful, or sexy. She’s trapped!

I guess that’s why I get so sad when I see these beautiful, strong, confident women at the convention dressed as Princess Leia in the “Slave” costume. It breaks my heart that women feel the need to objectify themselves. That somewhere someone has made them believe that showing off their bodies and “looking sexy” is the best way to show their confidence or strength. But let me tell you something… IT’S NOT TRUE!  We as women have value far beyond our bodies. Showing skin and faking confidence is not the only way, nor the right way to get attention. God created your body for greater things. He gave you a brain, a heart, a calling, and the ability to be something much more appealing than a gold bikini!

Trust me, I understand the temptation to put on what the world tells you looks good, sexy, confident, appealing, or is trendy and cool. You may actually get all of the attention that those things promise, but I can tell you its not the kind of attention that will satisfy you.

At the end of the day, my hope is that you will want to be recognized for your poise, grace, confidence, and personality, and that you would understand the impact that something as simple as how you dress has on the people who see you.  I have a feeling if you asked Princess Leia how she wanted to be immortalized, she would never say “In that terrible outfit when I was enslaved and forced to be chained to a giant space slug!” Just something to think about.

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