Written by Emma Jones
“How I love being a woman!”
-Ruby Gillis in “Anne with an E,” Season 3 Episode 5, 40:07
I have been thinking a lot lately about womanhood; the blessings and tribulations, the loves and hates, the joys and burdens that all go along with it. A lot of events have happened over the past several months that have made it especially hard for me to celebrate being a woman — but I am trying to learn how to better embrace and celebrate my womanhood, even in the face of struggles both on a local and global scale.
Growing up, I often struggled to express my femininity. I have four younger brothers. I was perfectly content to do most everything with them, and when I did bother to do something like dress up and have my mom curl my hair, I’d get comments from other family members about how I “actually looked like a girl for once!” so I tended to not appreciate the attention that came with girlish activities. In fact, I tended to scorn those I felt dedicated themselves too much to their femininity — the girls who woke up early to do their makeup before school, who didn’t play any sports or who wore tighter fitting clothes (not in an inappropriate way, just in an “I’m comfortable with the fact that I have breasts” way, which I was not). I’ve grown a lot since then, and have become comfortable embracing my own femininity and appreciating how other women express theirs. How wonderful that we can all share the title of “woman” and express it so differently. There is no specific way to be a woman; your womanhood is defined by your own characteristics and qualities and how you choose to define yourself. A wonderful aspect of womanhood, however, is the community aspect of it. I feel both the same and so different from other women I know, but the sameness outweighs and gives beauty to the differences.
Like the quote I included at the beginning of this column, I have grown to love being a woman. I love the similarities and connections that I feel are present in the global community of women that I do not see as much in men. Though being a woman feels so difficult sometimes, it is encouraging to know that it is a burden shared by many — and the joys of being a woman are joys that are understood and also celebrated by many. I’d like to share some reasons why I have grown to love my womanhood.
Womanhood is my mom teaching me how to sew so I can mend holes in my shirts, and womanhood is the handmade quilt from my Meemaw that I have on the couch in my office. Womanhood is attending a devo when my friend Libby is preaching, and womanhood is feeling empowered by opportunities to hear women use their spiritual gifts. Womanhood is tearing up when I saw Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus” because Venus’s body looked like mine. Womanhood is wearing sundresses in the summer and doing a little twirl so it flares up around my legs. Womanhood is crying over rom-coms with my roommates because they insisted it was a movie I needed to watch, and womanhood is learning how to braid hair in the seventh grade basketball locker room. Womanhood is when I stop at a gas station at night and immediately feel more at ease when there’s a woman working at the register. Womanhood is learning how to play Barbie with my little girl cousins because I had only brothers and didn’t really bother with dolls when I was little. Womanhood is knowing if I start my period and don’t have a tampon, I will be able to find someone willing to give me an extra. Womanhood is feeling good after a run and feeling even better that I did not get catcalled during it. Womanhood is complimenting another woman’s outfit in public, and womanhood is doing my makeup in the same mirror as someone else. Womanhood is reading “Pride and Prejudice” for the first time and already knowing that I’m going to love it. Womanhood is being proud of my accomplishments and those of other women around me.
Men, I cannot speak to the experiences of manhood, but I hope that you find joy in your own existence and also learn to celebrate the women in your life. Women, please celebrate your femininity. Find the things you love about being a woman.
