Can a woman give herself to a man, without …

Dear Friends,

I have often said that knowing, loving, and being who we are is the work of a lifetime. It’s the only work worth doing. Everything good–including love for life and others–is a byproduct of that. And I am grateful for my life’s work. I’m loving it!

I want to confess, though, that I am challenged in the face of my husband to hold on to me. It’s not because I married the wrong guy 15 years ago. It’s because I’m a woman, and he’s a man. I am not a sexist. I know myself as a woman, though. I cannot know myself apart from that. If I could, perhaps I could also be a staunch feminist.

I am certainly in favor of equality–equal rights and equal pay, equal importance, and equal voice. In searching my entire being, though, body, mind, and spirit, I am programmed differently–not just by society, but by God, our force for good.

Men and women are intended, not to compete, but to complement each other. The differences create a balance in relationship and in society as a whole. And I think one of those differences has me more focused on our relationship than my husband is.

I don’t think–even for half a second–that I love him more than he loves me. So, when I remind us that we must nurture our relationship, instead of waiting for him to remind me, even once, I must not resent that. I must not let my ego trump my role as woman. I must be grateful for the roles of both man and woman.

And when I am, I can hold on to me. I can be me.

Love smiles, woman smiles,

Note: This is a big subject. And I hope to do more justice to it with continued writing.