In a society that values the practical and pragmatic, these intangible gifts women bring into the world deserve more attention. Way more.
I’ll just tell you up front that I’m an enneagram 4. And if you don’t know what that means, don’t worry about it too much–it just means that a heartfelt defender of all things intangible: beauty, awe, emotions, relationships. And I’ve always had a bone to pick with the way that the world as a whole tends to value the opposite: the pragmatic, the practical, and the physical.
I know those things are important. We need people who can build houses and roads and provide food to eat. But what would life be, either, without poetry or slow dances or people to say “wow, look at that beautiful sunset?”
It’s in this tension that I feel the need, especially right around International Women’s Day, to stand up on a chair and yell “Women are incredible! And society needs to appreciate these intangible things more! Life would not be the same without them!”
So, without further ado, I want to draw attention to these 3 gifts that women bring to our world, that we should lift up more often:
1. The Ability to Turn a House into a Home
This is seriously a magic trick. Turning a place you exist in into a place that you want to be, where you feel comforted and welcome, rested and inspired–all from a few strategically chosen throw pillows or decorations on the wall?
As a woman myself who is still learning to hone this skill, I am in such awe of the women who build an intangible sense of peace out of a few couches, a rug, and a candle.
There’s invitation there–a generosity and a belonging. And although husbands, probably since the beginning of time, might fight you on needing that extra throw blanket, they benefit from your intention and artistic eye more than they will ever realize.
2. The Ability to Be Emotionally Aware
I know this isn’t a women-only attribute, but it really is incredible. The way women can walk into a room and feel the energy of everyone in it; can look at a friend and instantly know if there’s something on their heart that they want to talk about; can know that there is something wrong with their child’s mood just by the way they’re pushing their peas all over their plate.
The ability to be tuned in to the people around them makes this world a safer, less lonely place. The nice time a woman does this for you, thank her for her magic power that lets the world be more authentic and accepted.
3. The Ability to Be the Glue that Holds Relationships Together
It was kind of funny, around Christmas time in the store, how many women were telling me that they were in charge of the presents this year. Not just presents for their immediate family, but for their husband’s family too, and their brother’s girlfriend, and the extended family who is staying with them.
It was quite the task! But a task that I’m sure they all took on nobly, with heart and careful consideration for each person, making them all feel special and seen.
Not always, but not unusually, it’s the moms that are in charge of a family’s social calendar. Daughters who insist on making sure everyone gets together a couple of times a year. And wives saying “why don’t you spend a weekend with so and so? You haven’t seen them in a while.”
Relationships are what make life worth living. And at the hearth of a family, or being the glue of a friend group, is a woman, extending her heart to everyone around her.
Let’s celebrate these characteristics of all the women we know, and point them out next time they wow us with their creative energy, attunement, and big hearts. If you look for it, it’ll stand out to you more than you think!
Have a special woman in your life that you'd like to lift up during Women's History Month? We can help you pick out the perfect gift.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Kelsey Chance
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