Great article brie! I can relate to this sooo much and have actually been processing this a lot this year. My mother was a single mother until she married my step father. Even so, I feel that because she had me so young, she always had this protective, strong, male energy. Just like you said , still feminine in other ways, but I feel what you mean.My mom taught me the same thing like yours, to do things on your own. I think its a good thing to have that balance, but also good to be open to receiving. I noticed personally, I used to close myself off to receiving because I saw it like, I don't need anyone, I can do this on my own. So that manifested in my relationships. But since I've come to this realization, I've been connecting and nurturing my feminine side more I guess you can say. I agree with certain women being more masculine than others, it seems to have to do more with the environment you grew up. Thats why many guys who grew up in a female dominated household are very in touch with that feminine energy because they understand that energy.They would never disrespect a woman and admire women greatly. In a nutshell. :) :*