Womanhood

Womanhood, a multifaceted state of being. A person who wears an apron of grace, a robe of power, a face of good cheer, of laughter, a face easily covered in tears, behind all of which she lives her life. Her family she protects ferociously, her freedom she guards fiercely, her friendship she gives freely, her troubles she faces with fortitude, a woman she is, in all her glory.

A mother, a daughter, a sister, a grandmother, an aunt, a girlfriend, a wife or a corporate executive, in all her roles she lights up the darkness, in the lives of many . Quick to apologise when in the wrong, ready to forgive when wronged, kind she is to the brokenhearted and tough with the arrogant. Charming and generous to a fault until that boundary is crossed, then a lioness she is, that you don’t want to cross .

Her strength disguised under a mantle of gentleness, her sharp wit covered by simple words, demure she is always. In the service of others she takes pride, even to the very least, but woe to those who mistake her humility for timidly. She seeks not fame or fortune, over the welfare of those in her care, be it her home or the workplace, an oasis of peace she is, to all who come to rest awhile.

Her tender love she gives freely, to family and friends, her heart so big, she rejects none and all she asks in return, is to be loved the same . But often she is exploited for her kindness, trampled to the ground like a fallen bloom, her beauty and fragrance extinguished. On this Woman’s Day, as we honour the women of fame, of fortune, of achievement, let us remember in prayer the obscure, the oppressed, the unloved, the downtrodden, the many fallen roses .