Female
That’s such a beautiful word.
I used to hate being a woman, you know. I remember being ten years old and crying because I got my first period saying, “It’s not fair! I want to be a boy!”
And when I had to wear my first bra?
Same response.
I got used to those things.
In fact, I’ve embraced the wonderful miracle of my female biology.
But I never got used to the inequality.
I found comfortable bras, but I never found a comfortable place in my “gender role.”
I wanted to be great.
Not the “weaker vessel.”
I wanted to change the world.
Not “know my place.”
So I wanted to be a man.
And then found feminism.
Another beautiful word.
I found freedom to be the Me that God put into this female body.
Say what you want about feminism. Say it’s sinful.
But it helped me realize that I could be part of the Body of Christ. That I could, with the men of the world, be “one with Christ Jesus.”
Say it’s too offensive. Fine. Use big words like egalitarian if you must. I understand.
But the term is only offensive because simply being female has a long history of being offensive.
It’s only offensive because it’s been mocked and exaggerated and ridiculed by those who fear it.
But if the idea of females being strong, of females being equals is offensive, I am glad to offend.
I believe in the strength and power of femininity.
The women of history who struggled and fought to for a new place in the world. And succeeded.
Who took the shards of society’s mockery and shame as that glass ceiling shattered so that we, their daughters, might rise to new heights.
The wives, who supported great leaders.
And the wives who became great leaders.
The mothers who knew more than most men ever will about what it means to be Christ to her children. The mothers who sacrificed their own bodies and shed their own blood that their children might live.
The single women who were courageous enough to stand up in a world that says, “You’re nothing without a man,” look it straight in the eyes and say, “You’re wrong!”
The women who changed the lives of those around them.
And the women who changed the world.
There is strength in femininity.
Feminism is beautiful.
It is wonderful to be a woman.
Ladies, what do you love about being a female? Men, this one was for the women. I obviously don’t have enough experience to comment on the wonderfulness of being a male. But feel free to comment on what you love about being a man, or just show some appreciation for the females out there!
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September 12, 2011 at 11:14 am
All things considered, if I believed in reincarnation, I’d prefer to come back as a dude.
Having embarrassingly-large mammaries as a painfully shy teenager was terrible. And cramps…don’t get me started on cramps! And the idea of pregnancy. Or the confusion at having to use birth control to sort out both of these issues…and Lord help those around me if I’m given the WRONG birth control!
I’d just….really rather be a guy. Not in a trans-sexual kind of way. Just in a “Man, I’m tired of dealing with all this insanity” kind of way.
What I *like* about being a girl: Not having to wear pants all the time, I suppose. lol
September 10, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Flesh of my flesh
A divine surgery created in His image
Two who are whole becoming one
To reflect the three who are whole in One.
Whatever happened to the wonder
When Adam awoke from his slumber
To behold..Woman, beauty and fierceness formed
Love, lace, and lamentation.
Woman who bore all of us, men and boys alike
She who bears forgiveness when we act up
The spectacular glory of God, wrapped in the softest skin
Yet whose very glance causes men to quiver and tremble.
Let us who are male, let us speak to women
With a hallelujah on our lips
Let us love so terrible to protect, care for, and lift up
Let us cast aside our hubris to embrace our mothers
Our daughters, our sisters, and lovers
Let us celebrate the poetry of God made flesh
Who dwells among us with fire and elegance
May we rise to meet you. Forever and amen.
September 10, 2011 at 3:26 pm
That is just lovely! :)
September 10, 2011 at 3:27 pm
what is this from?
September 10, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Hey Sarah, I wrote this poem today to show my appreciation to women across the world.
September 10, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Awesome job! It was beautiful!
September 8, 2011 at 10:21 pm
This was so, so good.
And I had to go search for the original of that adorable little picture. My search term: “stuffed uterus.”
Thought you’d get a kick out of that.
September 10, 2011 at 3:26 pm
hilarious! did you find the original?
September 8, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Feminism is not a sin! The oppression that creates the need for the feminist response is the sin! Real men are not offended by feminism, they are offended by oppression and oppressive systems. Real men are not afraid of women’s equality, they are not threatened by it. In fact real men realize that they are more complete when women have equality and are not oppressed.
Sarah, you are by no means the weaker vessel and I have a feeling that you are changing the world.
September 10, 2011 at 3:25 pm
read a quote the other day, “men of quality are not threatened by women of equality.” so true!
September 8, 2011 at 6:25 pm
I don’t know what I like best about being a woman, but I know that your posts have helped me start to recover from a crippling case of “I need a husband or my life will be meaningless”. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping me to see that I’m worth something as a single woman!
September 8, 2011 at 4:27 pm
I feel like right now all of my reasons for the lamentably few times I am happy to be a woman are superficial.
I like my hair. It’s pretty.
Sometimes I like being well-endowed (though most of the time I’m like, “Really? Geez, they just get in the way!”).
Sometimes I almost think that I could be pretty.
But the other things about myself that I like I don’t necessarily pinpoint as being feminine, though I suppose they are.
I’m very sensitive (despite my cynicism). I feel the pain of others deeply, and try to enter into their suffering with them. I’ve met few men who are good at this.
I love my artistic talents – music, writing, drawing, designing.
I think that maybe the reason I empathize so well with people is that as a plus-size curly-haired glasses-wearing artistic woman I’m in a minority of sorts. Meaning, I don’t have the same privilege that a white middle-class man has. Maybe that has something to do with it?
How sad is it that as a feminist I’m having trouble embracing anything about being female as good?
I’ll come back when I have something better :)
PS, this post actually did make me feel better. Just…having an off week, I think.