The Art of Womanliness

Thanks to the wonderful networking of Facebook and my abilities to be a creepy stalker on it, I managed to stumble upon a most delightful, enlightening and entertaining website: The Art of Manliness. I was so hoping to discover a link to a sister site regarding womanliness but alas, none such website exists.

After reading on the forums that I was not the only woman to express an interest in a such a site, I have decided that perhaps there isn't one because women are so complex. Not that men aren't, just that there are some interesting dimensions to take into consideration. Feminism, for example raises some issues about what to include or not include. Just exactly what is the perfect woman? Personally, I don't feel that just because I like perfume and high heels, and baking it means that I can't like swinging a hammer and playing football. I happen to do all of the above and then some. But I do feel there is something to ettiquette, grace, and how to handle oneself with respect and dignity. There inherently are differences between men and women. One can not avoid that.

It would be wonderful to have a place that celebrates all those aspect of womanliness. Things to include could be being a good hostess, running a business, running a household, organizing, etiquette for all kinds of social situations, how to change your flat tire, fashion....you name it. In the words of one contributor to the thread, "The Art Of Womanliness should be a site that teaches,edifies and encourages woman to learn how to become real with themselves and the people that love them. Strong character with a strong back-bone. Beauty within and grace that can be seen."

Women today are often presented with confusing and often time contradictory ideas of what it means to be a woman. Many women struggle with traditional roles for women and others struggle with the intense pressure of modern society to have it all; house, family, career when all they really want is to be a stay at home mom. This can lead to guilt at "betraying" the good aspects of the feminist movement that helped to give us the rights we have today. The bottom line is this. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the CEO. There is nothing wrong with wanting to shape the people who will become our future. There is nothing wrong with wanting it all. I feel like it all comes down to what was mentioned above. You have to be true to yourself. As long as it it your decision, go for it!

To be womanly is many things. It is confidence. It is grace. It is knowing how to create that balance for yourself, never compromising your beliefs and recognizing when you are wrong. It is respectful and caring. Sometimes it means pulling off the perfect diner party for your husband's co-workers and sometimes it means changing the oil in your car.