Today is International Women’s Day. The day when we pause to notice all things “female.” There are posts and images flooding social media, quick little inspirational quotes designed to inspire us, while not thinking too deeply.

I have been pondering this today, what it means to be a woman.

To some, it is defined by biology, others will debate that it is identity. Neither of these viewpoints are what I have been thinking over.

Instead I have found myself strolling through my mind, at the various stages of my own life.

For many years, I believed that to be a woman, I needed to be quiet.

I needed to be submissive.

I was to take a back seat to others.

Don’t draw attention. Don’t laugh to loud. Don’t dance to big. Don’t be too much.

The truth is, I AM too much. It is how I was made, part of who I am.

As a person, as a woman.

I used to believe that femininity was defined by our subservience, by being demure in all situations. Due to this belief, I felt I was SEVERELY lacking.

It has been a long journey for me to recognize that the image I had in my mind may be true for some women, but not me. Some women are made that way, and find fulfillment and feel powerful in that role.

Others, like me, are at our truest form when life is a little messy. We say the wrong thing, laugh at the wrong time.

That is ok.

Happy International Women’s Day, celebrate who you are, recognize how far we have come, acknowledge how far we have left to go, and go be the truest version of WOMAN, no matter what that looks like.