Celebrating Womanhood  

Posted by Brock Booher


People often comment that my wife I look alike. I always respond that, in spite of the similarities, it’s the differences that really matter. Men and women are different. In a world where lines of gender roles and gender identity are becoming fuzzy, I would argue that the feminine arts of womanhood are dying, and that is not a good thing.

Now I’m not advocating that we need to go back to the days of June Cleaver, but I am suggesting that womanhood should be celebrated, not subjugated; That being feminine is a strength, not a weakness; That behaving like a woman is not something to be a scoffed and ridiculed, but something to be admired.

I have been fortunate to have several strong and capable women in my life. From my mother who brought ten children into the world and raised them, to my beautiful wife who makes a friend everywhere she goes, and various other successful women throughout my life, I have been surrounded by countless examples of womanhood at its finest. I have watched them nurture the sick, organize large gatherings, and perform manly tasks in a man’s world, without losing the hallmark characteristics of womanhood such as warmth, kindness, and compassion.

Throughout history women have been subjugated to subservient roles or minimized by tradition or even the legal system of a given society. Perhaps men have done this out of fear or a sense of insecurity, but the long-reaching result is that women, and womanhood, have been marginalized or treated as an inferior station.

Women don’t need to be placed on pedestal to be worshipped or admired from a distance. They don’t need to be segregated and locked away like some hidden treasure. They need to find their place alongside someone that celebrates their differences, honors their virtues, and values their contributions. Womanhood should be celebrated.

Men (speaking of the gender as a whole) are physically stronger than women, but that doesn’t mean that women lack strength. Femininity comes with its own set of strengths. By nature, women multitask better, nurture more, and resolve conflict in constructive ways. Because they lack the physical strength, and oftentimes the ego, of men, they are more likely to use their head to tackle a problem instead of brute strength. My mother can accomplish most tasks that a twenty-something male body builder can do. She just uses her head, leverage, and tools instead of muscle. The best part is that women can do all this while wearing a dress and heels. Feminine is also strong.

Behaving like a woman should be admired, and I don’t mean the glossy-magazine type of admiration. A woman’s touch can brighten a room or event and make it more enjoyable. A woman’s charm can soften even the hardest of hearts. A woman’s courage can carry her, and sometimes her entire family, through the valley of the shadow of death. A woman’s virtue can inspire us to reach for loftier heights. A woman’s love can transform us and encourage us to make the woman in our life proud. Womanhood, with all its endearing behaviors, should be admired.

Women today, in their attempt to be more like men, are losing the feminine arts of womanhood. When women downplay their feminine features they are also minimizing the inherent strengths that come with being a woman. The very qualities that make a woman feminine also make her strong and talented. They overlook the intrinsic value of their womanhood in an attempt to be like a man, and in the end they find that they are neither a capable man, nor a desirable woman.

My wife and are a lot alike, but ultimately it’s the differences that really count. In many ways I strive to be more like the women in my life. They inspire me. They encourage me. They transform me.


I’m a better man because of them.



This entry was posted on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at Thursday, March 08, 2012 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

0 comments

Post a Comment