Women - Just a Thought (Updated from 9/28/2014)

 

"Every flower develops a blemish.

To rise above it, and be seen as beautiful,

This is flower realized;

Flower fulfilled.

Every woman develops a blemish.

To rise above it and be seen as beautiful,

This is a woman realized;

This is a woman fulfilled.

Whatever minimizes you,

Rise above it.

This in itself is an act of realization;

This rising above, and being fulfilled,

This is a woman."

-- F.A. Villari

Things which we feel minimize us are just, well... things. We need to learn to let things that minimize us go. It's like traveling your path with a stone in your shoe. You will continue to move forward at a crippling cost. And, if you are limping along with a stone in your shoe, you'll be favoring that leg and end up traveling in circles.  Better to remove the stone that's bothering you, or learn to rise above it.

Blemishes, scars, and such, do not define who you are.  Your titles, certificates, and college degrees only define what you are.  Your ethics, how you treat other people, how you befriend them, love them, mentor, and cheer them on, these are the ways you define who you are.

It always amazes me that people who think they're "all that" are the first people to rush to judgment of others.  These bastions of morality and ethics, scream the loudest and are first to fail their own tests.  I'm a self-proclaimed hypocrite, and I have never denied the fact.  But, at least, I don't blow smoke up everyone else's ass.  I try to tell it like it is, and I will judge those who judge others, which is why I am my own worst critic as I freely judge myself.  

I offend people constantly, and they're usually the members of the League of the Perpetually Offended.  I should try harder not to offend them, but I have found this tact to be an exercise in futility.  I should let it go, but it is one pebble that I worry over.  It keeps me awake and steady on my path.  But, I digress.

I love women.  I love all women.  Fat, skinny, tall, and short. I have met those women, however, who do themselves a serious disservice by judging themselves too harshly for what they are. How can they judge themselves harshly for being the mother of humanity?  They make little sense, but then, they are women.  Things are different on Venus than on Mars.

I think women, in particular, worry way too much about "what" they are, and how others see them.  I think what's important is how they see themselves. Not what they see in the mirror, but how they feel inside.  

If you think you're fat, but you're resigned to it, this is no problem.  But, what's wrong with dressing nice and putting your best foot forward?  Instead of covering up the scars and blemishes that you can't do anything about, try letting everyone see your "proof of life." Show everyone how to live out of the shadows.  Show everyone the pride you have in not only "who" you are, but how you are.

People will still judge, and, in doing so, they'll say more about themselves than about you. Be a woman, be a mom, be a partner, be a friend, and be beautiful inside.  Tell the naysayers to go %&$# themselves.

“Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade since it consists principally of dealings with men.”

-- Joseph Conrad

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions, and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com