Being a woman is joyful and amazing experience that many of us share in this lifetime. However, many women are required go through the necessary awkwardness and heartaches before we reach a mature and confident womanhood.

Even though we are very fortunate to have witnessed the strong feminism movement in the past century and the significant elevation of the feminine status, many women are still raised today with low self-worth.

I have been very fortunate to have a father who always encouraged me to become all that I could be. Although he has passed on for a few years now, I can still remember him saying “Even though you are a woman, you can still accomplish anything you set out to do and reach any dream you desire. Don’t let the world stop you simply because you are a woman.” His words has had a great impact on my life as my stubbornness in believing in myself even when the world tells me otherwise has propelled me even closer to my dreams.

The first step in searching of womanhood starts at home. We first learn how to be and become a mature woman from our mothers. Even though we differ from our mothers, for some a little and for others greatly, we inevitably gain first hand knowledge of the feminine role by observing our mothers. It is not a coincidence that many of us find that our marriage or partner of choice closely mimics our parents’.

Aside from learning from our mothers, we learn the lessons of becoming a woman by learning through our bodily changes during the awkward adolescent years. Through adolescence, we are faced with unfamiliar and drastic changes of our bodies. We are presented with our first experience that requires us to honor the cycles of nature. Menstrual cycles present many challenging lessons, and to many women, the feeling of “out of control” as we go through the extreme changes in emotions, energy levels, and unfortunately for some, the experience of pain.

However, if we choose to learn from these initial awkward, painful, yet profound lessons of life to truly listen, honor, and let go, these physical experiences can serve as our greatest teacher. A woman’s body represents the beautiful ocean waves of life. If we completely allow ourselves to flow with the direction of the waves instead of going against the tides, honoring our body with great respect and care, we can experience the beauty and the wonder our womanhood brings at a much more profound level.

Other than learning from our bodies, women learn that we are sensitive, emotional, and giving beings. Instead of being looked down upon, these essential qualities of women should be honored and celebrated. Women differ from men with our gentle nature. Yet, underneath this gentleness, it lies the subtle power and strength that can carry ourselves and our loved ones through any difficulties in life.

Being a woman is a joyful and sometime mysterious journey. In your own search of womanhood, always remember to “honor your body and honor your soul!” May the search of your womanhood be an amazing journey where you find beauty, strength and love to achieve all of your dreams! May it also be a journey where you celebrate your life with much confidence and peace.