Though I am a Woman

I have some lovely people in my life who validate and understand and strive for better ways of living and being. I always tell my children to be good to others- compassionate and patient, and to be careful not to drive people away because we need a lot of friends in this lifetime. And it is a frequent thought of mine that I do not know where I would be; on the crazy scale, or otherwise; without my friends.

Although I recognize that no one can "fix" me; I never stop wishing for understanding and empathy, and for someone else's journey to bring me steps further along my own path of clear thinking and victorious living. For someone to recognize the "craziness" without giving up on me in the process.

It's not enough to have a woman say; "I know exactly what you mean" and then carry on into conversation about dieting and exercising and manipulating their bodies with a tone of shame and condemnation. That's going backwards, and falling into exactly what our culture has gotten itself into trouble for in the first place. The approach has to be more intelligent than that. It has to explore all the layers that lay beneath this cultural reality of women's heads being separate from their bodies- with the common view that the body is our enemy and must be brought under submission.

Although as women we know these things as facts; it is very challenging to actually live in the liberty of accepting our bodies as marvelous works of art and function. Intellectually, this is what I believe. So, after posting a raw post about the myriad of thoughts that refuse to fall in line with what I believe to be true... It was with great appreciation that I found the gift of writing in my inbox on the following morning.

And with Karla's permission, I am able to share it with you all. As I began to read this poem, I wondered where on earth she had found such a piece of writing that so closely mimicked the way I think. Soon enough, I recognized that it was her thoughts I was reading! Her writing.

So, here is a piece of Karla....


Though I am a woman –
I am smarter than you give me credit for.
I read, I write and I listen.
I observe and contemplate.
I research and dig for truth.
I am opinionated and bold.
I am informed.
I am aware.
Though I am a woman.

Though I am thin –
I am obsessed with my body.
I study myself and critque my imperfections.
I wonder if I’ll ever be satisfied.
I hide myself in baggy clothes that feel safe.
I obsess with what I have and haven’t eaten.
I can never run or work-out enough.
I fight the demons in my mind and memory.
I wish my body were different.
I wish I were stronger.
I wish I could find peace.
Though I am thin.

Though I am a mother –
I have a mind that is engaged.
I see a world beyond my four walls.
I am made up of layers that you have never seen.
I hold onto dreams that are not fufilled.
I want to believe in my value and worth.
I work hard and am creative.
I know I am often wrong.
I fear I am failing.
I fear I am not enough.
I fear the future.
Though I am a mother.

Though I follow God –
I am not a right-wing fundamentalist.
I can see the world through someone else’s eyes.
I don’t always know what I believe.
I have ideas that don’t always fit.
I color outside the lines.
I believe that faith can exist outside the church.
I respect the thoughts of others.
I want to live like Jesus.
I think that doubt is not the enemy.
I embrace ritual, tradition, and story.
I choose to love my neighbor.
I choose to keep walking.
I choose to have hope.
As I follow God.


Which leads me to wonder.... If this were your poem, how would it change?