This post is also available in: Spanish
What’s going on with women today? Where does this saying that “women are strong” come from? It is obvious that after the courtship, the wedding, women go through a phase in which helping them becomes less every day. Is it possible that there’s a misapprehension concerning the strength of women today? Being a strong woman does not mean not needing anybody’s help; it does not mean they are “omnipotent” and even less does it mean they are meant to have a family on their own and carry the weight of the world. Being a strong woman is to be wise, to share family responsibilities, and to know when to say “I need help”, to know that in life there will always be a time to make hard decisions, and we won’t always know when to show our poker face.
Women have evolved throughout history, occupying a position in society which our grandmothers once aspired to; independent women have reached a moment in their lives that through their work and effort, they have raised their children, provided them with a good home, and solid education for the future. In order for women to achieve this dream, they need to start working with the most important person in their life, their inner self; they need to discover their true worth and start loving themselves; loving themselves is what gives them strength to fight and reach any goal they’ve set their sights on, it drives to discover skills and qualities we were unaware of. Here is where the “strong” adjective that defines women as such comes from, because once woman recognizes her true value, the inner strength she develops -both physically and mentally- allows her to accomplish almost anything she wants.
Women need to be clear about the “strong” concept, they need to understand that their strength and value doesn’t translate to the capacity of doing everything on their own, and neither does it mean they need to prove the world how strong they are; women need to know themselves well inside and out, be sure of what they want, trust and never hesitate about their accomplishments, but moreover, know that no one will love them more than themselves.
This doesn’t mean women don’t need a partner, but need to acknowledge that we are our own greatest support, and find peace within our company.
Women walk with their head held high, because they love themselves and that is undeniable, they achieve their goals because they know they are capable of fulfilling any longing in their heart, woman are love, but only If they love themselves first. We can’t ignore the fact that there are many girls and women that have experienced abuse –physical or verbal- which leave scars that don’t fade easily, scars that leave marks and sometimes remain until their dying breath, scars that don’t heal unless treated by a professional; a strong woman is not weakened by this type of ordeal she seeks help and overcomes all. To keep quiet and put up with abuse will not help in any way; no one deserves to be abused. Being a woman and being physically weaker than men does not imply having to endure abuse, enduring abuse only means that the woman does not love herself.
It is best to get help, seek counseling that helps you assess the root cause of said behavior in your significant other or your loved ones; sometimes women don’t know that they have become the cause of another’s pain, thanks to this habit of not defending themselves and being convinced that this is the right way to act because it can affect their children, parents, friends and anyone else dear to them, that are aware of the endured abuse and how it hurts them to see their suffering.
By analyzing these scenarios, I want us to focus on this new year, and to try and prove ourselves our self-worth and how strong we are, and to know that we have within us the capacity to be professionals, mothers, wives, teachers of life, with character and wisdom, and that above all, we must love ourselves.