When Did Being Capable Become Being Responsible For Everything?
There is a moment many capable women never notice because nobody announces when it happens.
You become good at remembering, anticipating, organising and solving, so people begin turning to you more often. At first, it feels like trust. At work, your judgement is valued, the household see you as the reliable one and in relationships you remember what matters. When children need something, you know what to do, then as parents age, somehow you become the person who knows about the appointments, medication, finances and what needs sorting next.
Nothing about that sounds unreasonable on its own. The problem begins when capability quietly becomes ownership. What starts as “she is good at this” becomes “she will handle this” until one woman is no longer simply participating in several areas of her life, she has become part of the infrastructure keeping them functioning.
