#MyWordForToday is # Fragility
I will be talking about fragility as the strength of a woman.
We, women through the ages have been considered first as a lesser human being, and later upgraded to be fully human; but only if we can be exactly like one who has always been a full human being: the male gender.😔
This is why phrases like "act like a woman think Like a Man" became a catchphrase. Because apparently, thinking like a woman is thinking like a lesser human being.
I don't know how to feel about this, for people have often said "to catch a mouse, you must think like one", ergo to be accepted in a man's world, you must think like one. I daresay this faulty thinking is causing a lot of havoc in our world today.
Women do share a lot of things in common with men. We are human beings in every single way (it sucks that we must constantly reiterate this), wanting to be loved, to be appreciated, to be acknowledged, and celebrated. But even in all our sameness, our natures and physiologies are still different, the way we analyse stuff is different, our leadership style is different, even our brain structure is different.
Yet women are constantly referred to as fragile. The dictionary meaning of fragile is "easily broken, shattered or damaged; delicate".
Another meaning is "lacking in substance or force; flimsy". Imagine being referred to as "lacking in substance", simply because biology says you are the female gender but not because of your psychological makeup.
Women have had to endure quite a lot over the years, we are drawn into wars that have nothing to do with us, and we are made to bear the brunt of each of those wars. Women are brutally raped and sexually assaulted, it has become commonplace to use women as bait to secure favours.
The women referred to as been "fragile" are made to compete in a competitive male world, and everything we have today we have had to fight for: the fight to be recognised as human beings, to own properties, the right to vote, the right to refuse to have children (this is a barely begun fight), the right to work without being discriminated against, the right to carry our vaginas in peace e.t.c.
Many of us have found ourselves exhausted and anxious at all the battles to be accepted as a human being. The idea that a fragile species is being made to fight for the basic human right which is granted (without asking, to a man) is really absurd to me.
I do not agree that the idea of fragility applies at all to women, perhaps what the framers of "weaker vessel" meant was that women are far more emotional than men, or perhaps fragility stands for strength.
If it is the former, being emotional does not rob one of the ability to be sensible, every human being is made up of emotions, in fact understanding your feelings/emotions is akin to possessing a very high level of intelligence.
If fragility refers to strength, "it does not come from physical capacity but from indomitable will"- Mahatma Gandhi.
Quiet forbearance has always been the forte of many women. We have not only had to pick up ourselves with courage, by drawing from our inner strength, we have also had to give that courage to our wards, children and others around us, it is our vulnerability that gives us strength; this is who we are. Beautiful, Wholesome and Strong.
We have found ourselves terribly exposed by the fight to be seen and heard as equal humans, but it is in these moments that we have truly found our strength.
Vulnerability requires strength, as does fragility.
I'd leave you to ponder on these thoughts of mine with this quote, slightly edited by me :
"Woman, your fragility is also your strength" - Pina Bausch.
Bibireosefowora 💕💌
(Neither Pedigree nor Class can be bought with Money).
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