To Be A Woman

I remember the question of the judge to then Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen during the finals: "What is the essence of being a woman?" To which she replied, "Just being a woman is God's gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. Woman is sharing she shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman."

Being a woman is all these and more. Of course, there have been many great women in history who have made their mark on earth. They will all be remembered for teh difference they have made in this world. Take for example Mother Theresa of Calcutta or Joan of Arc or Queen ELizabeth? These are great women in their own rights. What do they have in common? Their strength, their endurance, and their great capacity to love.

But there is more to being a woman. It is more than just "sugar and spice and all things nice."

To be a woman means loving somebody without losing your individuality. To be a woman means being able to speak with confidence and act with strength. To be a woman means living in the here and now, capturing the right here, right now. To be a woman means to seek progress and not perfection. To be a woman means learning when to stand on your own two feet and when to ask for help. To be a woman means being able to celebrate beauty without getting caught up in other peoples' ideals. To be a woman means being able to continually educate herself to get a better understanding of things - where she is now, how to get going, where she is headed.

To be a woman is all these and more. So, how about you? What is a woman for you?