Womanhood

Guess what I was watching on YouTube last night? The 1994 Miss Universe Pageant. To those who weren't in the Philippines at that time, this pageant was held in Manila. With the country being addicted to beauty pageants, you can imagine the commotion that went on in the summer of '94. So anyway, I watched some clips of that pageant on YouTube. The last interview session for the top 3 contestants had this question: What is the essence of being a woman?

I remember being asked that question 14 years ago. I remember going around in circles, because that's what I do when I have no definite answer. I just beat around the bush, hoping the length of my answer would make me appear knowledgeable. I bet that never worked. So last night I heard the question again, and I asked myself, what is the essence of being a woman?

Easy, motherhood.

It's what sets us apart from men. Women are able to carry a child in their wombs. Christopher West, a renowned Christian speaker, calls women "beautiful tabernacles." Because the womb of a woman is a reflection of Mary's womb. The one that carried Jesus. A tabernacle, indeed.

Now you may ask, what about the women who were or are not called to be mothers? The ones called to single-blessedness? What about the nuns? Well, all women are called to be mothers, may it be biologically or not. An obvious example of a non-biological mother is Mother Teresa. She was not just a mother to the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. She was a mother to the materially and spiritually poor that she took in. Those people that needed to be loved, she loved. Like a mother.

Recently, news broke out about a "pregnant man" (thanks Oprah). When I first read about it, my initial expression was "Huh? How did that happen?" When I read the whole story, that's when I realized, ah, "he" is a "she."

Now I'm not here to judge. None of us have the right to judge, but all of us have the right to love. So we should love this pregnant woman, who is bringing another life to this world. God created her female, named Tracy Lagondino. Now the name change is her decision. If she wants to be called Thomas or Tom or Jack, you know, more power to her. But I'm sorry, none of us can decide our gender. I like what Christopher West said in one of his articles: "Tracy Lagondino is not a man 'trapped' in a woman’s body. There is no such thing. Rather, she is a person tragically cut-off from her true identity as a woman." Again, there should be no judgement here. Only love.

The identity of a woman. The essence of being a woman. Motherhood is this precious thing that women are lucky to have. And as Mother's Day draws near, I'd like to honor my two mothers: Mama Mary and my biological mom. Both women I highly admire and respect. Both of whom I aspire to be. Even if I could only be a smidgen of who they are, I would be a happy camper. If I could only have a dash of their patience, a sprinkle of their gentleness, a teaspoonful of their ability to love unconditionally, what a woman I could be.