Being a girl is a beautiful, mysterious journey that has yet to stop surprising me. We are all so different, and yet I’m learning that we have so much in common. These are the things that bind us together, girls, the conversations that unify us. You’ve been there. That moment when you are with another lady and you pull up Pinterest on your phone to share an idea of a beautiful decoration or you are sharing in *great* detail the pursuit and apprehension of that elusive pair of shoes. The ladies you are talking to will
have that twinkle of delight and eager interest flash in their eyes- land’s sakes, they might even cry a little. But speak the same words to a member of the opposite sex and his eyes will most likely gloss over as if you have just said nothing of earthshaking importance.
Along with the enjoyable things that bind us, there are the difficulties of being a female that we girls can relate to. These things seem impossible for those humans carrying around that Y chromosome to understand! These things can range from regular hormonal effects to those pesky glass ceilings that make us ladies feel stunted.
One of the most difficult things I find about being a woman is overcoming the stereotypes that go with the territory. I happen to enjoy being a bit of a repair-woman, and thanks to the genes passed down to me from my dad happen to be a fairly good one. I have repaired things as simple as toilet flappers to the more complicated garbage disposals and even replaced the heating elements in my dryer! I used to think that I was alone as a female in this interest but have recently discovered many other women- especially many of the pastor’s wives whom I’ve met- share this skill. So I am not alone. Still it never fails that after I uncover the problem and head off to the hardware store, I will encounter a sales associate of the male composite who will smirk at his coworker and try to direct me to another part all the while strongly insisting that the one I came in for is not the one required for the repair. Just for the record, so far the part I have come in for has always been the one I needed.
Now, I’m not mad or hormonal (at the moment), but this stereotypical response has frustrated me to no end. I guess for now, I will just have to smile and nod…or maybe better yet I’ll order the parts online as “Heath” Teis.
“And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti…” Esther 2:4
At Southern Hills Baptist Church, starting this Friday, we will begin the study of the book of Esther. The tagline for this study is “It’s Tough being a Woman.” Ladies, I hope whether you can be here in person or just join us via the “Southern Hills Ladies” Facebook group that this study will be a blessing to you and will increase your faith as a woman of God.
Ladies, What about you: What is the most difficult thing about being a woman?
(MEN, while you may feel free to leave a general comment, for your health and personal safety this author recommends that you do not leave a comment on the specific topic of “Why it is tough being a woman”.) 🙂
This really resonated with me. When I first heard of the women’s retreat, I signed up (it was on a piece of paper then.) After the sermon, Pastor Josh announced the retreat and then said something to the effect of Don’t worry guys! Our retreat is the next month, and we’re going to have a lot fun playing paintball and skeet shooting and other things. I remember thinking, Man, the men’s retreat sounds like fun! I’d like to do all those things. My next thought was, Oh no! What happens at a women’s retreat? Quilting? (Not that I’m knocking quilting; I was imagining in stereotypes.) So after the service I erased my name. Long story short, after getting to know more women and things they like to do shows my fears were silly. I went on the next retreat (and many after) and love that we don’t have to fit a specific mold.
That’s so funny, Julie, and you always “kill it” at retreat. I think of all the girls I have ever retreated, you are the most active. I need to give out and “I did everything” award to you. Thanks for sharing.
Your “handy-lady” skills always impress me Heather!
Charity, thanks. 🙂 What do you find tough about being a woman? (If I may ask)
Oh my! Where to start…hmmm, our monthly cycle alone. The fluctuation of weight between pregnancies. Pregnancy is pretty tough, though giving birth is pretty much a piece of cake (said with sarcasm). The sleepless nights when multiple babies are sick throughout the night really makes my entire week “tough”.
As a women I have a “tough” time balancing when it’s good for me to take leadership and when I should sit back and watch. It’s tough to not compare myself to others who seem to handle so much more than I do. My dad used to tell me ALL. THE. TIME. “Life is tough and then you die!” That’s helped me to just really try to enjoy both the tough and easy parts of life because it will all be over very quickly. And in all reality I have it extremely easy compared to most. I mean could you imagine being a women in a third world country…now that would be tough! I’ve been trying little by little to remove the extra unnecessary things in my life that make my life unenjoyable and just stick to the very basics that I know God wants me to do. I look forward to reading more blogs! Thanks Heather!
Lots of good stuff, Charity. One lady on listing the three hardest things about being a female put “hormones, hormones, hormones!” 🙂