Real women

 

Real women
3 December 2012

I think that so many of us women, strive to live up to an image we have in our head.  An image of a model on the cover of a fashion magazine.  A model who, though beautiful and already in possession of a gorgeous figure has been photoshopped even more.  All with the goal of emulating perceived physical perfection.  A goal that is simply not achievable for us mere mortals.  I mean think about it.  These girls are absolutely gorgeous, but even they have to go under the photoshop brush.  And for another, beauty aside, most of them are ridiculously young – kids in fact.  So why do us normal girls end up chasing this hollow ideal?  Surely we’re a more accurate reflection of real women than these girls?  These are not mere sour grapes talking.  I salute them for their figures, because it surely takes hard work too.  But given their age and the aid of computer graphics, perhaps they are not a true and accurate reflection of what a real women is like.  A women who’s lived and loved.  So exactly why do we beat ourselves up for not looking like this?  Ridiculous I think.  Women on the covers of glossies are just hollow and two dimensional depictions.  Not real at all.  In fact I’m sure that many of these models are more than they’re made out to be.  They’re not just pretty faces and a perfect size 8.  They’re real people too.

 

So given all of the above, this is my take on real women – the actual perfect ones out there.

 

·         Real women have cellulite – they show that she’s grown as a person and has character.

·         Real women have stretch marks – badges worn with honour because she’s born a child or two.

·         Real women have wrinkles and laugh creases beside her eyes.

·         Real women have an appetite and enjoy their food.

·         Real women love themselves.

·         Real women love real men – men who aren’t photoshopped either.  Men with beer bellies and bald patches too.

·         Real women have a life aside from their families.  A life that shows her family that she is also an individual with friends and interests outside of the family circle.  A very healthy state of affairs.

·         Real women cut themselves some slack.

·         Real women do the best that they can.

·         Real women love to laugh.

·         Real women care.

·         Real women don’t always wear the best clothes, because sometimes they have other priorities with their money.  Priorities that supercede fashion.  Priorities like clothes for their children and school fees too.

·         Real women forge a path for themselves in life and leave a mark.

·         Real women are not judged by the man at their side – they are their very own person.

·         Real women have passion.

·         Real women don’t always look perfectly groomed – sometimes they do natural, and rightly so.

·         Real women have lots on their plate and juggle many things at the same time.

·         Real women take on challenges.

·         Real women sometimes find it hard to say no and often help others.

·         Real women always try their best.

·         Real women don’t always have manicured hands.  They’re a luxury to some, but they nearly always make her feel good, when she has had them done.

·         Real women adore their families.

·         Real women have standards – mainly for themselves.

·         Real women love their friends.

·         Real women occasionally spoil themselves, because if you want to be spoiled, best you do it yourself and don’t wait for others to make it happen.

·         Real women don’t have to be moms to be real women.

·         Real women sometimes fall short.  But they get right back up and try and do better next time.

·         Real women always strive to do more, be better and get “it” right.  Whatever “it” might be.

·         Real women make a difference.

·         Real women are honest.

·         Real women fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.

·         Real women have kindness in their hearts.

·         Real women are all very different.

·         Real women don’t judge others, for they know that everyone walks a different path.  Everyone’s path is hard and unique in its very own way.

·         Real women make allowances and are flexible, because they know that life is not rigid and flows.

·         Real women are accepting and gracious in defeat.

·         Real women are forgiving.

·         Real women can’t be boxed – because they’re all so delightfully different.

·         Real women work hard.

·         Real women enjoy the odd indulgence – something just for them.  Even if that something is just a warm, relaxing and undisturbed bath.

·         Real women try and understand others even if that is a hard task.

·         Real women know when to back down.

·         Real women often help others at the expense of themselves.

·         Real women put themselves last on their priority list.

·         Real women love connections, bonds and strong friendships with people.

·         Real women give gifts from the heart – often containing a little bit of themselves too.

·         Real women show compassion.

·         Real women do hugs.

·         Real women do kisses too – and not just the smoochy type either.

·         Real women are capable of great emotion – sorrow and joy.

·         Real women wear their hearts on their sleeve.

·         Real women cry not only with sadness, but also with happiness and sometimes just because they can and they feel full.

·         Real women know better than to judge a book by its cover and a person by their looks.

·         Real women are special and the very best kind.

·         Real women are true to themselves.

·         Real women believe in themselves and those that they love.

·         Real women come in all shapes and sizes.

·         Real women are all teachers.

·         Real women glory in a beautiful and peaceful world.

·         Real women follow the right path, not the easy path.

·         Real women shoulder on, regardless.

·         Real women have staying power.

·         Real women have depth.

·         Real women have stamina.

·         Real women are capable of great love.  A love that enfolds many and encompasses even more.

Real women are the real rulers of our world.  Their softness, yet strength helps make our world tick.  A world filled with men, would not have the same balance.  So irrespective of looks, shape or size, real women are the ones that look just like you and me.  They’re you’re mothers, your wives, your sisters, your daughters, your friends.  They don’t have to live up to a glossy ideal.  They are already perfect in every way.  Because looks are just skin deep and fade in any rate.  Real women have pure hearts and those matter way more.

So do this today.  Give a woman a hug and tell her “Thanks.  I appreciate you and all that you do”.  Whether you’re a man or a woman, just give her thanks and a hug.  It goes a really long way.