Being a Woman is Hard. Nope, This is Not Feminism.
Okay. Before I start writing, please read again the title. This is not feminism. Yep, it’s not. It’s more about my personal complaint(s) about being a woman. (ps. I personally prefer to call myself a girl, but people around me refer to me as a woman, cause I’m turning 23 this year, duh.)
Ok, let’s get back to the topic. Two days ago, I happened to call a friend and we got into a discussion about weight. I explained to him that, as a woman, it is harder to lose and maintain weight cause we need an adequate amount of fat (which is more than men) to maintain our hormones and produce eggs (to menstruate and give birth). Yet, despite that fact, women are still expected to have small figures and weigh less. You see, that’s the first reason why being a woman is hard. We are expected more but we have less “starting point”.
Another story is, today I texted my best friend, as usual. We usually exchange texts almost every day to update each other (you know, girls LOL). Today, she replied to me with, “Chat, I don’t know why I feel so low today, I feel unworthy and I compare myself to others.” I replied to her, “Maybe you have PMS.” (you know, the so-called, Pre-Menstrual Syndrome). She instantly replied, " Yes, I am having it right now.” “No wonder,” I responded. After that, I thought to myself. Oh yes, it’s so hard being a woman, we have to bleed every month, feeling fatigued and wondering whether people or dogs love us or not. Moreover, we have to deal with cramps and cravings. If we give in totally to our cravings, we will feel more guilty because we will gain more fat (remember the first reason, we cAn’T gET fAT). Period.. is the worst thing, yet we still wait for it every month. If it doesn’t come, we will panic and wonder if something is wrong with us (girls, if you’re reading this, just raise your hand in silence.)
Last Thursday, I happened to have a stomach ache. At first, it was mild. I took some meds and hoped it would get better the next day. But, I was wrong. It was getting worse and I decided to see a doctor. He prescribed me meds and I consumed them. However, I didn’t get better. The stomach pain was getting worse — to the point I couldn’t walk and felt the urge to go to the ER. I was taken to the ER and given an injection to ease my pain. The doc said I got some sort of stomach flu — some sort of digestive infection. I think I did eat spicy food last time but it was at a restaurant though. Anyway, I felt better. But I got some sort of trauma. Yes, the pain. It was the worse, sharp, and piercing. I thought I was gonna die and I didn’t want to experience that kind of pain again in my life. Today, in the morning, I was talking with my mom. I told her about the pain and my experience, and a question popped out from my mouth. “Did you experience that kind of pain when you were giving birth?” My mom said, “Yes, the pain felt like you wanted to poop but you have to hold it until your cervix fully dilated. Then, you have to use ALL YOUR STRENGTH to push the baby out from your vagina.” I was shocked. I mean… the stomach pain I experienced was painful enough.. How about giving birth??? Can I endure it??? I can feel the pain and the horror is unimaginable. You see, we have to give birth and it is EXTREMELY painful.. either vaginally or c-section (they say, you’ll feel the pain after the anaesthetic wears off).
Okie, those three “stories” are enough to explain why it’s hard being a woman. So, to anyone who knows a woman among you, whether it is a friend, partner, or even your own mom, please be gentle with them. It’s not easy being us, but we are grateful. We are grateful we are given this chance to become a woman and we will embrace and thrive with our identity. Thank you for reading and if you are a woman yourself, you are amazing and we can do it! 🫶🏻
