The embodiment of womanhood

In a discussion this week, I referred to myself as “a woman and a mother,” in that order. A later speaker in the conversation described herself as half a dozen things, ending with “a mother and a WOMAN.”

I think she had them backwards.

In my opinion, motherhood is the fullest embodiment of womanhood. I was a woman before I was a mother, yes. But now that I am a mother, I believe I’m serving in the most important, fullest function that a woman can. I feel like I’m more of a woman now that I’m a mother. Motherhood magnifies me as an individual and a woman.

While for me, becoming a mother was a biological birth experience, I believe that this same feeling applies to all types of mothers. I’m not more of a woman because I was pregnant. I’m not more of a woman because of the biological changes my body underwent during and after pregnancy.

I would attribute this “magnified” feeling to how much my life has been enriched and my heart has grown since I’ve become a mother. And of course, there are my beliefs, which include that motherhood “is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.”

I’m not trying to say that a childless woman is “less of a woman.” I don’t think that. But I do feel that motherhood encompasses all that is womanhood and more. The calling of motherhood supersedes the role of womanhood, and certainly anything else I’ve done in my life. In fact, the real, highest definition of myself would be “wife and mother.” I don’t even have to mention being a “woman,” because I feel like that’s completely entailed (in the logical, linguistic sense of the word) by those higher, broader callings.

Do you feel like being a mother makes you more of a woman?

Updates: Hayden is doing better. He guzzled the Pedialyte and even ate some cheese and, later, green beans. He did whine the whole day for food, which is probably a good sign.

The ants are doing well, too. Trying vinegar, but it doesn’t look good so far.