Like everything in life, being a woman has its ups and downs. It’s terrifying knowing that just because I am a woman, I am in danger of being killed by a male lover, family member, or a stranger. It doesn’t matter what you wear, how nice you are, what you do or don’t, the dangers are still there. It’s disheartening watching the local news, just to learn that there’s another woman found dead. Motivated by this, I asked UPRRP students what they thought it meant to be a woman, and the answers were as beautiful and as sad as you may think. This is why, for this year, I thought that we needed more optimistic comments about being women. That’s where the inspiration struck!
If there’s one thing to know about me it’s how much I adore my family. They’re my pillars through every step of the way, and they’re also the people I look up to the most. But I can’t deny the special bond I share with the women in my family. It’s something as tangible as it is intangible; it’s something that can’t be explained in words. They’re the ones that have shaped me into the person I am today. And who better than them to give a positive twist to what being a woman means?! But I wanted to be more specific, so I asked them: “What do you love about being a woman?” Their answers didn’t disappoint.
My mother, the one that’ll go to the ends of the world just to see me smile, said:
I love being a woman because of the way we show our capacity, intelligence, and, above all, the strength we possess to overcome adversities that come our way just because we are women. I love giving life to another human being, and, although that means suffering, the reward of being a mother is greater than the pain.
My cousin, who I have the privilege of watching succeed in everything she puts her mind to, answered:
I love the complexity of being a woman. I love that “incomprehensible”, “difficult”, “inexplicable,” and “complex” part that makes us unique and capable of achieving everything we set our minds to.
My other cousin, who’s always there for anything I need, even if it’s just to hear me talk for hours on end, said:
What I love about being a woman today is being able to be sensitive, delicate, and strong enough to fight for what I want. I love that we can break barriers and go above the expectations that people have of us. Having that emotional part and being able to be compassionate with others. Being able to give life and be the pillar of the family.
My aunt, the sweetest and strongest person I have ever met, answered:
I love being a woman because although I may seem delicate and sensitive, I am strong, responsible, and I have been capable of overcoming adversity with tenacity and victory throughout my life. I also love that God has chosen me to give life to the two people I love most in this world and to have become the grandmother of a beautiful doll. My sun.
My other aunt, who has achieved so many things in life and doesn’t stop inspiring me, said:
I love being authentic, free, intelligent, independent, a mother, grandmother, and friend. I love the fact that I have achieved all my desires because it makes me feel fulfilled as a woman, mother, wife, writer, and everything I have yet to accomplish. This is not over!
My grandmother, my best friend, my everything, answered:
I love being a woman because it gave me the power to carry in my womb the most beautiful creations, who have made me the happiest woman in the world. Being a woman allowed me to be a mother. It also allowed me to be the grandmother of three princesses and six princes who fill my life everyday. To make my life even happier, I am a great-grandmother to five beautiful and healthy great-grandchildren.
Being a woman may be one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced in my life,; but it’s also one of the most beautiful experiences. I love the bond we have through womanhood; how we come together to fight for our rights, to cry for those who are no longer with us, to laugh and scream our victories. I love our nurturing, our gentleness, our sweetness; just as much as I love our resilience, our determination, our power. I love being a woman, not because of our ability to create life from our wombs, not because of what society defines us as, but because of our need to evolve and choose for ourselves, for wanting to get out of a box filled with gender roles. I love being a woman because I can, and I will.