Wonder Woman – Did Mom Really Turn Down That Part? 

By Roxanne Drury 

In the mid to late ’70s, an amazing female superheroine came to television. She had been in comic books since the ’40s, but when she made it to television, she became truly famous.
Her name: Diana – an Amazon warrior princess sent to America as Wonder Woman to fight for peace, justice, and truth. (Not the Amazon that Jeff Bezos owns!) 

As famous and dearly loved as Wonder Woman was on television, she was even more famous and dearly loved in our household. My children loved Wonder Woman and they never missed an episode. Even my husband was pretty much enamored with Diana: Princess of the Amazons. One day as the children and my husband sat glued to the TV watching Lynda Carter spin her sleek body around to turn herself into Wonder Woman, I very casually said, “I was supposed to be Wonder Woman, you know.” Instantly, three heads spun around on their necks like owls, and three pairs of eyes turned their focus to me. 

“What?” they said in unison. With all the seriousness I could muster, I repeated my announcement, “I was supposed to be Wonder Woman.” The look of astonishment on their faces was priceless. Seriously, it could have been on a Master Card commercial. 

The children wanted clarification. They fired questions like shots out of a shotgun: “What do you mean? How? Really? Are you kidding us?” So I explained that I had auditioned for the part of Wonder Woman and it was offered to me. Meanwhile, my husband is doing all he can to keep a straight face and look as if he is supporting and confirming everything I am saying. 

“Yes,” I told them. “I was offered the part of Wonder Woman, but I turned it down because I wanted to be your mom more.” 

Once again the shotgun goes off – 

“Wow, you could have been famous.” 

“You could’ve been on TV.” 

“We could’ve been rich.” 

“I could have gotten the Luke Skywalker Landspeeder.” 

Of course, this news could not be kept a secret. They told all their friends and all the kids in the neighborhood believed I could have been Wonder Woman on TV but turned it down to be the boys’ mom. 

Sidenote: Yes, it was a little white lie – a story, if you will – but how special do you think my boys felt, thinking I turned down fame and fortune to be their mom? And that was the method to my madness. People wondered what I was thinking, telling the boys that. I was thinking I wanted them to know how much I loved them and how special they were in a tangible way they could relate to. 

This farce went on for years. After they got older, they figured out I was just letting them know how much I loved them. Even after that though, when I was settling a sibling argument or issuing a punishment, I would still remind them that I was supposed to be Wonder Woman and that fighting for peace, justice, and truth was her/my job. Or I might strike the Wonder Woman pose and say, “Don’t make me get my lasso,” when trying to determine who did or said what and the truth was not easily forthcoming. We had loads of fun with it. Almost 50+ years later we still laugh about it all. 

As I think about that little lie, I can’t help but think that all moms are Wonder Woman. They do so much, and it is hard to keep up with it all sometimes. Moms get tired of saying the same thing over and over. They get tired from doing all they do. They get tired from everything that is so much a part of being a mom. It is a hard job. 

Here’s my message. It’s worth it! Hang in there! 

Count on your kids having disagreeable years. Count on them rebelling once in a while. Count on them doing things you may not necessarily agree with or approve of. But also count on them coming of age and appreciating all you have done for them and realizing how much you love them. 

Following is a text I got recently from one of my Wonder Woman story sons. He said, “I love you guys so much. I or anyone for that matter couldn’t ask for any better parents than the ones I have. I appreciate everything you guys have done for me. I don’t think I could love you guys more, both of you. I’m proud to be your child, and I thank you both for who I am!” 

I share this with you to give you hope if you are going through a rough time with your child(ren). They come around and they grow out of things. And I also share it to encourage you to find a way to make sure your kids know they are loved by you and made to feel special. 

Thank you, Lynda Carter, for taking over the Wonder Woman job. I hate to think of all I would have missed had I taken it (smile). 

Roxanne Drury is a wife, mother, grandmother, and retired Christian preschool teacher with a teaching certificate in Early Childhood Education. She has served the Lord in children’s ministry for over 40 years and is currently on staff at Rockharbor Church.