Sunday, March 08, 2015

Celebrating womanhood

My SD is fond of telling me that women were created to make the world a more beautiful place; only women, not men, can grace an occasion. Here is a man, a priest, who appreciates beauty as a truth created by God, and has a deep respect, and love, for women and men alike.

To all women reading this, I agree with my SD wholeheartedly and encourage all my sisters (brothers too) out there to respect their bodies as temples of God by looking after appearances without vain obsession, and looking after minds and spirits without becoming self-absorbed.

Women, do not let yourselves go. No matter how old you are, do not give in to gluttony and allow the pounds to pile on. Being overweight taxes your joints and organs, and leads to serious medical issues sooner rather than later.

Eat healthily and moderately so as to maintain optimum health (eat junk and you will soon feel like junk) and exercise regularly to ensure suppleness and grace when you move, it is pointless to put effort into looking good only to shuffle like a 90-year-old with shoulders hunched over, head forward.

Regular exercise has many benefits. You get your blood circulation going and you even release endorphins into your system so you feel good. It also helps you maintain muscle mass and keeps osteoporosis at bay.

Maintaining neuromuscular coordination helps upkeep your vestibular system and balance so you decrease the risk of falls. I could go on but I am sure you get the picture by now.

One last thing, you should not experience pain or stiffness when you move any body part (barring any serious accidents or health conditions). If you do, it is a sign to do something about it so that you come back to a pain-free state.

Experiencing pain in every step is not acceptable (as I write this I am not pain-free myself but I am working hard at getting there). Popping pills may be a quick fix but ruinous to your health - best to reduce any chemical reliance you might have.

So you work out, you watch your diet, and you look and feel reasonably decent. Great. Let's talk dressing. I am no expert and I admit to dressing down as much as I can to combat the tropical heat but I do try to go for casual chic rather than casual sloppy.

Modesty does not mean greasy, unkempt hair, baggy T-shirts or shapeless garments and flip flops. Look and smell good. Dress age appropriately. Aim to please the senses without causing a lustful reaction. Sexiness is a state of mind and not the state of undress which leaves nothing to the imagination.

Sisters, do not sell yourself short. Do not give in to the prevalent world view of how a woman should dress or behave if it means objectifying yourself or causing others to objectify you. Men you attract purely on the merits of your figure or easy virtue are not worth holding onto in the long run. Superficial and immature, there's not much to stop them from leaving you for a hotter and younger bod.

Demand to be loved for who you are and not what you are, how you look or how others want you to be. Walk and talk like a lady if you wish to be treated like a lady. Swearing or crude language is not becoming, even in a man. If you begin by respecting yourself in how you present yourself to the world, others will accord you a similar respect.

Let's not stop at looking one's best. We can further beautify the world through our behaviour, by speaking and acting with feminine grace.

As women, we are gifted with intuition, a softer and nurturing nature, and the ability to believe and hope in the goodness of others beyond logic or reason. We connect more easily than men with others, and we are more in touch with and articulate about our emotions. Rather than rejecting what is often perceived as weakness, we should celebrate our vulnerability and use it to empower others to be freer, and therefore better people.

Grow into your vocation as woman be it as daughter, sister, friend, colleague, wife, mother, grandmother or godmother. We can transform our environment when we exercise our feminine gifts with gentle integrity and quiet confidence. Our receptivity and creativity can give birth to life in more ways than just biologically. Use your talents to bring joy and comfort to others.

Be proud of your sexuality. Thank God for it and walk humbly, virtuously and with great dignity. If you are unsure of how you should act, let Mother Mary be your model. Mary was a woman who took everything to God in prayer and emerged with insights born of faith.

Be the woman God created you to be: beautiful, liberated and brimming with joy. Happy Women's Day.

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