Something I Don't Get About Women
A painting I did in the summer of 2012 while I was searching for the power within.
At Sundance, Mindy Kaling once said her parents raised her “with the entitlement of a tall, blonde, white man.”
In our patriarchal culture white men are aspirational beacons of confidence. And it’s not hard to see why- they are paid more for their work, glorified across film and television, and are considered the experts in almost every industry.
However, this Women’s History Month, I’ve been reflecting a lot about being a new mother. Mostly how hard it is. I’ve been doing a lot of Instagram oversharing and have been struggling with postpartum depression. But one thought that keeps me centered when I’m feeling overwhelmed is how powerful we as women are. Not only did my body grow a human and break open to give birth her, but I’ve been able to feed her and keep her healthy for the last three months.
The past 79 days have truly felt like a lifetime. Raising Ginny Rose has been physically and emotionally harder than any job I’ve ever done before. And it’s work that women do behind the scenes and for zero pay.
Every. Damn. Day.
Which got me thinking, it’s not white men who women should channel the confidence of. As women, we should embrace the insane amount of power we possess within ourselves.
My motherhood struggle and journey isn’t unique. It’s something women do, keep doing, and have been doing for centuries. But something I can’t quite understand after experiencing becoming a mom is how our culture keeps viewing the white male as the cultural touchstone of confidence.
Because as far as I’m concerned, the white man ain’t got nothing on mothers.
The physical and emotional toll of being a mother is more intense in 5 days than the last 5 years of being an entrepreneur. But we view mothers in the media as these fragile, out of touch, and sometimes even ditzy supportive characters, when really mothers are the stars.
You wanna get something done? Ask a mother. Last week my friend with a five month old had the flu and still managed to go to work, drop her son off to daycare, make lunches for the week, pump three times a day, and go to Target to pick up some household supplies ALL while having five hours of sleep. Moms are the most productive people on the planet, and are the hardest working women on the block. Mothers should be running companies and running for office. And as far as confidence goes, they should walk around like the demigods they are.
Giving life is power. It’s transformative, earth-shattering, electrifying power. It’s a rebirth into a new body and perspective about the world and myself I’ve never experienced before. And whether you want to have kids of not, that power runs through our veins. So it’s time for women to stop attributing their high confidence levels to acting like a white man. You are a woman. Your power is far beyond that of your male peers. It’s time for culture to catch up.
What do you think? Is the world ready to embrace the power of women? Comment below and share your thoughts.
Xx,
Written by Erin Bagwell
Copy edited by Diana Matthews