Meijer Took a Stand!!

My boys are very aware of modesty.  A few months ago, I asked my boys if I should try on a dress that was hanging on the rack at a store.  They said, "Sure!  As long as it's modest!"  I was surprised by their response and even laughed at first; but more than anything, I was grateful they felt so strongly about modesty that they would even keep their own mother in line. :-)  It was modest by the way.

I work hard to teach them respect for women, and they in turn work hard to teach their sisters about modesty.  I often hear them say, "Oh Juliana, you need to wear a shirt underneath that." or "Isn't that getting a little too short, Mariah?"  I hope my girls always listen to their brothers' encouragement for virtue and modesty.  Mariah often says, "Modest is the hottest." :-)

I also hope my boys will have the courage to always talk to me about their changing bodies... we've already had some great talks!

I didn't understand why modesty was so important when I was younger, and I actually liked the attention from the boys when I wore short shorts.  With my own brothers' encouragement, I changed my wardrobe.  Since then, my eyes have been opened to the effects of immodesty... on so- many- families!!

Several years ago, I was helping a friend move; and as we lifted the mattress, there was a magazine under her son's mattress with lots of very immodest women.  She was shocked, and I was too.  I advised her to talk to her son about it.  In the end, she decided against it because she figured he would be fine because the girls still had some clothes on... she thought it was natural.

I didn't push the issue, but I have always felt sad for that boy- that his mother didn't talk to him about his feelings.  He was obviously hiding the magazines for a reason.  They made him feel something he wasn't comfortable sharing with his mother. That worried me because secretive behavior often breeds worse, more damaging, addictive behavior- which is also kept in secret.

There is a magazine in several grocery stores right now that shows a full-bodied woman wearing absolutely nothing.  She is only covering her private areas with her fingertips.  This magazine is right in the check-out line at eye level for all ages to see.  Most of the covers on the magazines are sensual and immodest by nature, and I wish they could all be banned from that area of the store.  The world isn't going to put reigns on how far they'll go!  That has to come from us!!

I talked to the manager about the problem, and I explained that this particular magazine crossed the line.  At first he was just very professional and said he would speak to the corporate offices.  He warned me it would be very difficult to get rid of the magazine because it would have to be a chain-wide decision to even take the magazine out of his own store.

He called me the next day to tell me he had indeed spoken to the corporate office, but he wasn't sure yet what would happen since the decision was not up to him.  I politely thanked him for his phone call and assured him that I looked forward to returning to his store once I knew it could be a safe place for my young, developing children to be.  I also reminded him how many thousands of dollars we spend at their store.  I further explained the negative effect these images have on young minds and where those problems lead.                            

By the end of the phone call, he began to show more understanding for my position.  He agreed that he did not want his own children to be exposed to the things their friends look at.  I was glad to hear his human side of the issue rather than the corporate side.

Several more days passed; and just yesterday, I received another phone call from the manager with fantastic news!!!

He informed me there had not been enough complaints in the other stores for them to take the magazine out of all the grocery stores.... however...  he DID take them out of HIS store!!!  In complete shock, I said, "YOU DID???!!??  Thank you so much!!"  He said he wanted to make sure the customers in his store felt comfortable shopping there.

Thank you Meijer grocery store for taking a stand!!!!

I believe our voices DO make a difference!! :-)