Womanhood ....

‘WOMANHOOD’ : Happy woman’s day to me!!

I was 16 when my mom bought me my first saree. An unforgettable moment of my life! I was very excited. I thought I’ll wake up a fully-formed woman next morning.. Now I know, in fact, this takes a whole lot longer than a good night's sleep. My dad said I was looking pretty in the saree I draped. I was happy. I was just fumbling about, a facade of femininity.

But, it did not take much time for me to understand the struggle behind attaining the real womanhood. Modern womanhood is hard to define. But, all of us know, it is defined by struggles. Struggles against impossible beauty standards, meaningless definitions of success! The struggle of separating from your roots, struggle of accepting someone whom you hardly know as your partner for life, struggle of either wanting kids or not to have them soon, and knowing that, no matter what you choose, an overwhelming majority of someone is going to think you're wrong!

But I started learning to be a 'woman'. I learnt to be reverent and temperate. I learnt to be chaste, gentle and quiet. I keep a clean, well-ordered home. Dad mentored me in providing hospitality, acts of kindness, service and mercy, or for demonstrating compassion for the poor and needy. I eventually learnt to live, love, forgive and forget!

I don't understand what's wrong with the society. why womanhood is most appreciated and recognized through sacrifices?! I think the identity and value of women has come to be equated with their role in family, society and community. That is how their 'worth' is generally defined, measured and experienced. But, this expectation of society from a 'woman' is probably what makes a 'woman' a 'real woman'! :-) 

As a woman, I feel so powerful. I can endure the pain of childbirth, I can take the responsibility an entire family, I can take decisions, I can dream big career and make it happen and all those constant back and forth of what it is to be a woman and I do so with grace, dignity and power.

Womanhood raises me to pinnacles of joy which no man is privileged enough to go through!

I wish myself a happy ‘Woman’s ‘life’!