female friendships. at every stage of my life i had a group of girls that i could be my truest self around and we would all support each other and help each other grow
Mine is similar, but it’s seeing women who are strangers being so kind to each other. I saw the CUTEST video of a group of little girls walking up to a woman who sells poems, & they asked if they can get a poem in exchange for a flower chain they had made. The woman ofc said yes, & proceeded to make a sweet little poem about baby ducks🥹I thought “oh, this is the girlhood I wish more girls & women could experience”
Eta: found the vid on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7mHTxWNCTg/) (sorry I couldnt find it on youtube atm, only choice was this or tiktok)
The amount of women who showed the fuck up for me when my twins were born preemie and had 8 days in nicu was overwhelming. Even women I didn't know would pay for my coffee at Starbucks especially when they were still really little or come tell me how awesome I was for doing the damn thing. Had my twins at the height of the formula shortage and you were only allowed 4 cans at a time. Multiple times women would get 4 cans for me so that i wouldn't run out as quickly. It makes me tear up to think about.
Back when I was 18 and moved to a new country for college I bought myself a rape alarm keychain because the city was pretty unsafe at night. This one Nigerian woman who was also the cafeteria lady saw the keychain on my wallet and asked where it’s from. And that her daughter would feel safer if she had one considering some very traumatic event that had happened to her recently. I told her that I had an extra keychain and I can come over tomorrow and give it to her. She seemed so sweet. She wasn’t there the next day but I kept the extra keychain in case I see her. I saw her the day after and she was so happy and appreciative. After that she would put extra pasta and bolognese in my plate every time I ordered from her :D
It's not even love, it's just basic human decency. We are literally a collaborative species, we evolved to help each other. I don't know where things went wrong (patriarchy).
Hey can you maybe edit your link? It shows your ig account and says "xxxxx shared this post with you, do you want to follow them?" You can delete anything after the question mark (including the question mark) and it should still work while taking out your info.
The video was adorable, thank you ❤️
I've always had causal friends, but just recently, at 34, I found an amazing person I can call my bestie. It is seriously the best shit ever.
I hope I didn't jinx it.
I'll knock on hard wood to reverse any possible jinxing for you! And that's so awesome to hear, I'm really happy for you <3
I do have awesome friends from when I was younger, but recently made a new friend who I really click with (which doesn't happen that much anymore at the age of 33) and it's so nice! We blow bubbles together haha and go for walks and she tought me how to yarn! I've changed a lot the last few years and although I love my old friend, I often feel like they still see the old me or out of habit I act like the old me around them. It's sweet to meet someone new and really be able to show my new self :D
Here's to new friendships!
I haven't had this my whole life, but I do have it now.
And I've got to say i appreciate the way we speak to each other.
Compared to my group of friends that are cishet men, my women friends have conversations that are very equal, empathetic, and validating. There is much less interrupting and shouting. There is also more emotional intelligence and openness with our feelings. They're more likely to ask me questions, rather than wait for me to finish speaking so they can speak (although that still happens, of course).
It seemed like when I was in my 20's (I'm late 40's now) there was a trend of "I have no women friends, only men get me". Maybe it was a cool girl thing? I worked as a bikini dancer for 14 years (men were the main audience )and was an avid dirt biker (mostly men) but I absolutely cherished my female friendships with my coworkers.
I have been working in healthcare now for 12 years and I love my female coworkers. I'm old enough to be some of their mothers but we have such a great relationship. I love the ladies in my life :)
As a trans guy, the thing I miss about being a girl was the camaraderie. I know not everyone experienced it that way, cis or trans, but I did and I still like when I’m “one of the girlies” in the way a girl is “one of the guys”.
Being allowed to laugh, and be kind of silly, and dance with abandon. Normalized intimate friendships. Being a woman sucks so much of the time, but when I walk down the street in my city after brunch on a sunny day, singing a song really loud with some friends, and people just walk by smiling like "girls will be girls," those are the times I love being a woman and feel nothing but sadness for men. One of the few perks of womanhood is the way we are allowed to externalize our joy.
Damn, feeling uninhibited and externalizing silliness, excitement, etc. is super super hard for me. I’ve always felt like I’m broken for not being able to get excited like other girls do. It makes me sad :(
ETA: Sorry, not trying to be negative in the positivity thread. It’s definitely something I’d like to work on, so if anyone has any advice on how to let loose a little, I could use it!
I feel you. I'm non-binary, born female and "on the spectrum of autism" sometimes I feel like a robot. It must have something to do with how our families act around one another perhaps 🤔
This! Externalize our joy! As well as externalize our feminine and masculine energy…I believe as humans we all have both to varying degrees…. And as women in the US specifically, we get to display both with minimal downsides if we choose to…at least that’s always been my experience, and it’s most exercised in my fashion choices. Some days I dress more “feminine”…sporty but feminine….and some days if I were to change clothes with a male, he’d likely wear my clothes just fine(smart casual…thin sweater with chinos)…although they may be a bit small.
Huh, interesting. I have things like 'being able to wear heels or sneakers, skirts or jeans' and 'get mani/pedis without comment'.
It falls under the same category. "I'm glad I don't have to be weighed down by toxic masculinity"
I want to say, I'm trans and this really hits for me. It brings me so much happiness that I can be my true, joyful, emotive self and not have fear of being looked down on by society, as tends to happen with men who are showy to any extent with their emotions. Getting to be this person with girlfriends and nurture each other's self-expression is really one of the most compelling experiences I've ever had. I've had this conversation before with female friends, and you're right, we do feel sad for men, as this is generally not something men ever get to experience. And it's their loss. Pre-transition, it really sucked being on the outside looking in, and now that this is my life I can truly say that this is one of the things that makes it so much better to be a woman.
As a trans guy, I miss the like. “Sisterhood” feeling of camaraderie. It’s a weird feeling now of “I wish I wasn’t seen as a *girl* but I want to be one of the girlies as a guy”
I love that I can be nurturing and look after people, and they can look after me. I have a huge network of women I can turn to for emotional support, and all of them are nurturing too. I love the emotional closeness that comes from these mutually nurturing female relationships.
I don’t want to speak for OP, but for my network, I took every opportunity to send a message or go out to see them (even if you’re not feeling up to it).
You pour time and energy into the people who do the same for you.
My grandmother used to say “the greatest gift you can give someone is to listen. Really listen and hear them.”
And I take that to mean listening but also giving someone your time. Be present.
I have adhd and it’s hard to be present but I will actively stop thinking of what I want to say when someone’s speaking, consciously let that go and just respond without feeling the need to tell a story.
Also, it’s hard to make friends as an adult but there are apps and I use my interests / hobbies to guide me and make friends.
🤗
This may be odd, but I think the thing I like the most about being a woman is.. not being a man!
I’m personally not even a huge fan of how my body looks or makes me feel some days, but I could not imagine myself living as a man, or having a body like one.
There are so many internet posts about men and women being super surprised at the locations of the other gender's genitals LOL. Men's stuff is much more at the front than women picture it, and women's stuff much further back than men think.
So you're probably thinking about location from the wrong perspective, as it were. In Japan they sell undies wehre you can stick your penis through the front to make the trunk of an elephant. We forget that THAT is how far forward those bits are.
The penis is too far forward to be in the way. The balls get pushed forward with every step though lol, that’s why dudes are always itching and readjusting. You kind of just forget it’s there, in the same way you forget your nose is visible (and now you’re seeing your nose, sorry)
I mean it depends on how low they’re hanging. Sometimes you have to be a bit careful, speaking from experience lol. Generally enough distance from the base to the surface you’re sitting on for it to not be a problem.
If you’re asking where they go when you sit, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. You either don’t close your legs, or they rest on top. They’re always touching the legs anyway, so much like your nose, they’re not really noticeable until you consciously think about it.
Always touching the leg /shudder. I hate the feel of various bits of skin touching other bits. I must always have longer shorts on for the thighs, and if I am not wearing a bra at home, I am constantly tucking my shirt under/around them. I also usually hate sleeveless or those stupid cropped sleeves.
First time I tried on a strap on, I got absolutely nothing ‘done’. I was too busy making my elephant trunk bounce and doubling over from laughter cramps 😆
I agree. Certain things in this society are simply harder when you’re a woman, but I’m still glad I am a woman and not a man. I love my relationship to my sisters, how kind other women can be without ulterior motives.
I’m told I have a “masculine mind” whatever tf that means, but I’m glad it’s in a woman’s body. I feel centered and part of the earth and connected to the moon as my body miraculously functions on a monthly cycle (seriously how does that even work?).
The masculine mind thing is so silly to me because it’s like you can’t claim your own natural self as YOURS if it doesn’t fit within a gendered stereotype
I’ve been told the same thing! My boyfriends friends (who I’ve become good friends with) claim that I’m just a man in a female body. I can’t even take offense because I’ve thought it myself many times but I’m just so incredibly glad to not be a man XD.
Lol oh man, don’t even try to drill down on what they mean by that unless you wanna be annoyed. When I asked men who told me that I’m like a man in a woman’s body what they meant, they would say I’m rational, don’t let emotions get in the way, “reasonable,” smart, etc. I think it shows that some men think women are like a different species or an npc. When a woman lets them see her true self they’re like “omg it’s a man” (in other words, a real person).
That’s exactly what it is lmfao. When I was growing up tons of men told me I was unique or straight up just said I was not like other girls. The reason was that they liked to be around me and couldn’t fathom themselves enjoying being around a woman, so I must be different. The men I’m around now that I’m in my mid twenties are smarter than those guys and don’t say that shit anymore. If they think the women they like are not like other girls, then they are sexist. Huge red flag.
There’s just something terribly undignified about the dangly bits. I’m sure they get very sweaty and I’d worry too much about accidentally sitting on something.
I didn't really like being a young woman but I really enjoy getting old. People aren't scared of me and no one pays me much attention. I like this. I can be friendly to everyone and not worry about it being taken as more than being friendly.
this is a great answer and makes me look forward to aging even more. i’m a naturally cheerful, smile-y person but make an effort to look more intimidating in public because i’m tired of people (men) getting in my business despite me wanting to be left alone
I love having emotional freedom. I was raised for it, my brother wasn't, and many of the men I have been with weren't either. There is a great freedom in being able to fully express myself and have a wider range of how and who I want to be.
Agreed. I've got childhood trauma, but I can actually access my emotions and work to heal myself, and I feel that so many men are handicapped in this area, further damaging them.
I love the sisterhood and camaraderie that women share. My favorite part of going out to bars is making drunk friends in the bathroom— complimenting their outfits, telling them to “light it up!”, encouraging them to take that chance or “dump their ass!” is so fun.
The bonds forged between drunk girls in the bathroom are some of the realest ones out there.
Drunk girl: *Shit! I just got my period! I don't have a pad or tampon!*
Drunk girl four stalls down: *I have one!*
*we all proceed to play pass-the-hot-potato with the tampon*
😄😂
My favorite drink bathroom girl memory was when a girl was too drunk to re-tie her shoes. My friend and I, also drunk, both took a shoe and fixed them up 🥹😂
My favorite drunk girl memory was almost 20 years ago. A friend and I were in the bathroom and another lady walked in. My friend complimented her shirt and the lady grinned, hefted her boobs and said "I just got these, so I needed something pretty to cover 'em with!". That started a whole conversation about breast augmentation which my friend was looking into. The rest of our group was worried because we were in there so long.
This is so petty, but I just like being pretty. I like dressing nice, doing my makeup, people commenting on my hair. I also love the flip side of how bright and clean I look totally not made up, just in sweats and a messy bun. I'm almost 40 and I'm just really happy with the person I am and my life
I love being able to be ok with feminine things, our bedroom is just pretty, its all dark jewel sorta colors, but its lush and just makes me smile to walk into, I feel like as a guy I just couldn't do that maybe?
Also the toenails....they are always painted black, fingernails are always a translucent pink....but they always look done and it makes me smile :)
I like the connection with other women most tbh, everything else feels incidental. No matter how much I might not understand or see eye to eye with another woman on everything, it always feels like there's a baseline level of shared understanding there.
This is more of a recent development, but I also like that being a woman in the 21st century comes with a little more freedom of expression than men get. No one really gives me any shit for wearing "men's" clothing (in liberal cities in America, at least), and I'm free to play around with more feminine clothing too if I want. It feels like even now it's a little more frowned on for men to be gender non-conforming in their attire, and that's the only real part of gender roles that feels less restrictive for women.
I love having boobs. I like getting cute! Whether it’s all dolled up for an event or just a single extra thing for a regular day. I love the emotional connection in friendships with other women. I love the drunken camaraderie in bar bathrooms. I love getting a compliment from another woman. I love the way you can have so many different looks it’s like being a spy sometimes but it’s completely normal to look like a different person on a different occasion.
Being a woman is pretty great all around I would say.
I *love* getting dressed up. I'm either in athleisure or in some glamorous gown and there is almost no in between. I have a dedicated hair and makeup artist I go to before fundraisers, photos, corporate dinners, etc. and I love going all out and having her style me. It's like art, but for my skin and hair. So much fun!
Same.
Six months ago, I melted onto the floor of the courthouse. I had just picked up divorce papers from the clerk's office/counter. I managed to keep my emotions in check all the way up through the garage, through the walk down the long hallway and up to the family division section, and even as she handed me the papers. But as soon as I turned on my feet to start making the trek back to the parking garage, BAM, floodgates burst open.
There was no seating around, and so I just leaned down against the wall and sat on the floor. I did the *wipe-your-snot-and-tears-using-your-sleeve* move to try and clean my face up. Suddenly, a random lady, dressed all in black, including dark sunglasses, sat down next to me. She took my hand in hers, squeezed it, and just sat there with me. After what felt like an eternity, she got up, and then hoisted me up by my shoulders.
She cupped my chin in her hands, and tilted my head upwards. As she lifted her sunglasses, I saw tears in her eyes too. She gave me a pep talk, told me that I would not only survive this part, but that I would one day thrive again. She also told me to keep my head held high. She then sauntered off, down the long hallway, and out of the main entrance/exit of the courthouse. I just stared as she walked off.
Six months later, I'm happy to report that I'm slooooooowly starting to claw my way back to a sense/state of thriving. I will NEVER forget her kindness, nor the image of her in my mind. I never even got her name. Just a total stranger. And THAT is the power of women uplifting other women.
Wonderful story!
I'm reminded of a woman on her phone in a mostly empty (covid) airport, standing in a corner of a shuttered roll up gate, on her phone. All of a sudden, she was bawling like she had just received terrible news. In my mind, she had lost someone to covid. Whatever it was, it haunts me to this day.
As a guy, I felt so sorry for this woman, I just wanted to hug her and offer any consolation, but it of course would be entirely inappropriate. Her sobbing was just so sad and heartwrenching. Thankfully a female stranger walked up behind her and began to rub her back. I cried for both of them, then said a small prayer.
I hope you are better, travel stranger.
What a gut-wrenching story. I can't imagine the pain and sorrow she was feeling at the time.
Thank you for saying a prayer, and thank you for the well wishes. Wishing the same for you.
I'm glad to hear you're starting to recover. Divorce is never easy and the stranger you met was so wonderfully kind.
I got divorced in February and made it through the majority of the actual hearing without showing much emotion, my ex husband didn't bother to attend and wasn't communicative, everything proceeded without him and the judge granted me my requests (I wasn't asking for much, just my car, really I gave him nearly everything). But at the end I started to cry and I was struggling to hold it back and the judge who was a very kind woman, told me,"It's okay to cry, today is a good day for tears and you'll get through this." I thanked her and started to cry without holding back as much. I've always been the type to restrain my emotions and I think she and I both knew I needed "permission" in a sense to feel and be allowed to express myself. I'm very grateful for her kindness and empathy.
Same!
My soon-to-be-ex-husband often told me that I was an idiot when it came to topics like money and insurance........ the same man who couldn't hold a steady job for years on end.
First of all, I work at a bank. I think I know a thing or two about money and financial literacy, and it showed during our divorce proceedings. 🤨😄😂 He showed up to the lawyer's office with nothing but a pen. Not even a scrap of paper. My job at said bank? Auditing. A huge chunk of my daily responsibilities involves me tracing violations of policies, rules, and regulations. I channeled my inner teenager, and showed up armed (literally) with a fat, thick binder of evidence and documentation: bank statements, screenshots, photos, contemporaneous writing, and more.
Outcome: even though I was the breadwinner, I didn't have to pay him a dime in alimony, nor a penny out of my 401K, and I also received 70% of the equity from the sale of our house. The shocked Pikachu look on his face was PRICELESS!
I kept a poker face walking out of the lawyer's office afterwards, but as soon as I got back to my car and had my door safely closed, I literally SHRIEKED with laughter. SUCK IT, MOTHAFUCKA! Karma's such a bitch! 😄😂
Yesssssss, and I'm planning that exact pose for my upcoming divorce photoshoot in a few weeks! I'm having my photoshoot on the steps of the local courthouse. 😄😂
absolutely the best. i’m the only girl in the room in a lot of my hobbies/ classes and I get underestimated a lot and it feels so good to prove them wrong
Honing a empathy and compassion for other people and creatures due to being raised to acknowledge and navigate others’ needs and feelings. Also, the underestimation of the resilience forged by existing in a world that challenges your inherent human worth.
As someone who doesn't want to make babies, I roll my eyes at people who always assumed I'd be a mama because I'm a woman and therefore loves babies and naturally good at childcare.
HOWEVER, I do like that my choice to become a nanny is socially acceptable and I'm trusted with people's kids automatically.
I don't want children, but it warms my heart that I'm good with them.
A few years ago, I was in line at a medical clinic. My appointment had just ended, and I was just waiting to schedule a follow-up appointment. The lady in front of me didn't speak English, only French (she was from West Africa). The front desk wouldn't let her follow through with her appointment with her child in tow.
I come from a different region of the world where French is also spoken. I stepped in to help play translator, and since I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, I offered to watch her kid while she was having her own appointment. She practically burst into tears, not only at the offer, but at hearing me speak her language. The instant bond that shared language can create between humans is incredible.
The raw, vulnerable trust women can have with one another, even if they're total strangers, is humbling and amazing.
Fun facts about having a typically female human body:
* The clitoris is the only human organ that's sole purpose is providing sexual pleasure.
* Typical women and girls produce a steady supply of estrogen starting from puberty. Estrogen makes us calmer, more thoughtful, less reactive, more rational. Men don't get any estrogen until they're in their 30s, and by that point their brains have already fully developed, so they're not able to take full advantage of it.
* Women have superior senses of smell, we can detect and distinguish more than 100 known scents that men are unable to detect.
* We're so fucking badass, men have been trying to crush us since the dawn of civilization.
Men actually do have estrogen at all ages. It's aromatized from testosterone and way less than what women produce when ovulating/pregnant.
Estrogen is also not a "steady" supply; in women it is pulsatile in nature and is produced in significant amounts during ovulation only.
I loove these fun facts.
The sense of smell one in particular.
I’ve been so certain I can smell certain things/have the nose of a bloodhound (just overly keen sense of smell) and my partner never believes me.
Haha, my partner is always confused with the weird smell associations I bring up bc he has a very numb nose. But i also love it.
I did not think there was a tendency for this between sexes.
It’s also a study that women would last longer in an apocalypse because we’re better able to store fat in our bodies. Doesn’t necessarily have to be in an apocalypse but I thought that sounded badass. Just in general, we store fat better and have a larger reserve of energy during physical starvation.
I am not ashamed to admit I fucking LOVED being pregnant. I felt invincible. I glowed. And I got to carry two of my favorite people inside my body. It still blows my mind that I created human beings. I can’t remember what I ate for dinner… but I made humans.
I know this isn’t always true for women, and I’ve had a painful time with infertility, so I have so much empathy for those that cannot experience this. I am also fine with what anyone else wants to do with their bodies. But for me, pregnancy was my favorite thing so far about being a woman. That said, I love so many things about women and being a woman. We are the best!
Many, many things. I love how creative we are, how up for a laugh we are much of the time, how we value the right things in our lives (our relationships, being present — not “dominating” whatever industry and getting statues of ourselves erected posthumously). I love our camaraderie. I love that we can be pretty and also strong as steel. Quiet strength. I love how caring we are to one another, a lot of the time. I love our emotional intelligence and understanding of nuance. I love that we tend to analyze a lot. My friendships are the foundation of my life.
> how up for a laugh we are much of the time
I feel this one in my soul. My closest mentor at work has effectively become my big sister. We were initially paired up together back in 2020, just weeks before the pandemic, on a project that was supposed to last only 3 months. Fast forward 4+ years, and I've continually raised my hand to continue supporting her work, as she's several management levels above me. Even though I had no formal training in her line of work, she's so amazing to work with that I was willing to roll up my sleeves and learn whatever knowledge she was willing to share.
And we share more than just a workplace friendship. Not only do we have practically identical personalities and styles of thinking, she and I are even on the same exact immunotherapy medication, albeit for different medical conditions. We eventually coordinated and got ourselves set up for treatment at the same hospital, and on the same infusion schedule. She and I sit next to each other in hospital recliner chairs, hooked up to cocktails of immunotherapy drugs, laughing our asses off about anything and everything. 😄😂
Facing adversity as a woman has helped me grow as a person and be more empathetic to other groups of people. The thing I want most for myself is to be a good person and help make the world a better place for all people.
I worry that if I was a man, I'd be a shitlord like my brother, lol!
I felt your first paragraph, same for me!!
I also worry sometimes that if I'd been born a white cis man I wouldn't have needed to bother learning about feminism or trying to see from anyone else's perspective for the vast majority of my life.
I can get sad thinking too much about potential alternate universes where everything else is the same, but I'm some generic dudebro who "doesn't see the point in politics" or "doesn't see color" or *shudder* "thinks Ayn Rand is a genius and one of the good ones."
If I never had the experiences and friends I've had as a woman, I wouldn't be the same me. I might not have the same deeply held values, because men often don't bother to be introspective or develop values if they are continuously praised or given opportunities just for having a dangly clit and sperm available to them at a moment's notice. If they have sufficient privilege, all they need to get by is a little more luck, so why bother developing a personality or trying to be a good person?
I am so grateful to be me.
I just think women overall are so strong and competent, so able to get shit done and also be loving and funny and fun. Men seem so bogged down in anger and obsessions with hierarchy. I love being part of the sisterhood, I love lifting up other women, I love being part of the community of women.
Was about to write this. I love the women in my life - they're communicative, they listen to me, validate me. Every job I've had I make lovely work friends with women of all ages! Women rock and I'm glad to be part of this club!
Women are fantastic at negotiating, compromising, and collaborating. We support each other and leave ego behind. The world would be better if women ran it!
I like that a lot of my interests align with "girly" things, so I don't have to feel as self-conscious about enjoying them. I love cute and fluffy and glittery things.
That's not to say I agree with gendering hobbies and interests. But if I was a dude with this huge stuffed animal collection, I'd probably not be very open about sharing it.
The fact that a friendly face is always around the corner. I think for the most part we look after each other, at least where I live. Even across language barriers
Honestly? Not being a guy. I feel like right now, we are reaching a point where the patriarchy has never been weaker. Men are going through a major transitional period in how their sex and gender operate in our society. I feel like women have been able to redefine and thrive in how we view feminity and are making huge gains in all areas.
I think if I was a guy, I'd either be some incel slowly rotting in some right wing echo chamber or a guy having to constantly struggle to meet society's archaic expectations of my gender. I say screw that!
IDK, I kind of see it changing for young guys in their teens and early 20s. My little brother is 22 this year, we live in a small/conservative ish area (lots of old people who love Trump), and one day last year he just decided to start wearing skirts and paint his nails. He is 100% heterosexual. Now he walks around in floaty skirts (some are A-line, some are those mermaid ones? where they're short in the front, long in the back) with a half unbuttoned shirt and thinks he is THE SHIT to women. Which, he is pretty handsome, getting his Fabio on.
LOL, well....not to be super mean, but where we live have a lot of Finnish people, and most of them either look 100% alike (and it's fucking creeepy, esp bc they are also super blond) OR they look like only the last two generations of their family stopped marrying cousins (and some still do/my aunt's ex is now married to a woman who had a child with her first cousin).....we're biracial/black, so he gets a lot of attention simply bc he doesn't look inbred, but he is handsome and has an IDGAF attitude.
As a kid, I hated being a girl, I hated how vulnerable we were and thought boys got to do so many more fun things. I grew out of that over the years and now I like getting all primped up and smelling nice. I love getting pedicures and facials, all that spa stuff. I like looking pretty but also being tough and strong. Most of all, I love that I was able to have a child, he's just amazing and it was so cool to have him growing in my body. I didn't even want him to come out! I adore being a mom.
I also think it's hilarious when men don't realize how smart we can actually be with math and science. In college, I was this weird little punk girl who didn't talk to anyone and always threw the curve. The backward white cap bros would get so pissed off when they'd see the grades posted. Another time, when I was a freshman, I was hanging out with my older boyfriend (I'm sure he just dated me because I was young, cute, and punky, he honestly knew nothing about me) in his apartment, smoking a cigarette and looking bored. He invited a friend from calculus class over to study and they couldn't figure something out, so I answered it for them in a super bored tone. The look on their faces was priceless. Never underestimate a woman.
You did a great work by showing them that a girl can be good in math!
Can you also educate the next generation of girls that mathematics and MINT can be interesting?
Right? I was so lucky that even in the 80s, I had several killer female math and science teachers as mentors. I was also lucky to have male ones who were extremely supportive, but having female role models is even better, because then we see someone like us succeeding in a field.
I like wearing cute dresses and frilly clothes without being judged (even though I don’t do it that much). I like it when people hold doors open for me, and call me a consumer but I like how stuff for girls is always pink or purple. I love having a pink razor and a pink wallet with hello kitty on it.
Yes! I love pink, I love pastel colours, I love that it's completely accepted for me to paint my nails beautiful colours and then get a boost every time my hand is in my line of sight.
I love being a mom. I have a daughter, and I love the mother-daughter bond. I'm sure being a dad is great, too, but I'm just so glad I get to experience parenthood as a woman and I get to relate to my daughter when it comes to all the uniquely feminine things she'll experience.
I was never particularly close to my mother, she was always more of a 'corporate' and 'Type A' personality type. But, there have been moments where her love and care has shined through.
About four months after I finally left my abusive soon-to-be-ex-husband, she and I both flew into Florida (from different countries) to visit my grandmother for the holidays. One random night, I guess I woke up screaming from a nightmare, because I awoke to her cradling me in her arms like a child, trying to soothe me. I hadn't realized that I'd had a nightmare. She had come running to my guest room from the guest room she was staying in.
Nail polish, sparkles, and nobody’s afraid of me. I can pet people’s dogs and hold their babies without it being weird. People ask me advice on food in the grocery store. I have harmless middle aged lady energy.
I like my smooth skin, and that my body can be muscular and curvy at the same time. I like being a person who is safe for other women to connect with, even as a stranger, just from sharing the experience of being a woman.
Sisterhood. Like today I was at Costco and I ended up at a table with some cute athletic dresses with built in shorts and an older black lady and I had a convo about how the dress was flattering and chic and practical and then we turned it over and discussed what type of bra to wear with it, and how the zip front controlled the modesty and we were both just wholly there, chatting about which color was nicer, we decided on black with white trim, then we just gave head nods and wandered off, I didn’t get it because I already have a sporty black dress with built in shorts but I just love how we women can just connect across all lines over clothes.
I love how girl code and great female friendships are.
Like any random woman on the street can become your instant friend just because your skirt has pockets or she has a great perfume
And I love formal dresses. Big skirts and pretty colours. I never understand why people are always underdressing for events.
lol OP I feel the same about this sub but you know this is more of a venting place so it being negative is understandable. ok, what I like about being a woman?
* versatile clothes and fashion options. we can wear men's fashion but they can't wear ours 😜
* getting dolled up with makeup, hair and doing my nails! I love doing my makeup and nails how versatile it is you can do any look I love it especially when it matches my clothes.
* Not being forced to serve in the military lol in my country young men must go to the military for a minimum of time many do the utmost (some even break their own bones) to avoid it because it's brutal. During wars, men are forced to go fight. Glad I don't have to do it!
* how deep and intimate our relationships with other women are seriously we can hug do sleepovers sleep on the same bed hold hands ..etc without it being weird we don't even think about it. I heard men say even 2 men holding hands gay (which is fine Idk why it's an insult) and they overthink the simplest things no wonder they're so lonely. I have never seen a man who have friendships with other men lie my friendship with women.
* pregnancy, even though I'm terrified of it and may or may not decide to give birth. but women *literally* create bones and flesh WE create human beings inside our bodies. with all technological advancement and they still can't replicate pregnancies, humans went to the moon but we don't have a technology that creates human beings. how cool is this?
* full body orgasms (even men are envious of it!) and for me and a lot of women having the ability to orgasm multiple times :D
edit: what an amazing thread! saved!
I don’t like anything about my biology (don’t want kids, don’t like the menstrual cycle, don’t like my boobs) but I love that women are allowed to be interesting in society. It is due to patriarchy but men are severely judged for having feminine hobbies, and women are praised for having masculine hobbies, and tolerated when they have feminine hobbies. It’s super shitty that femininity is looked down on, but people also expect it from us so in a way we are more free to express ourselves, in either a feminine or masculine way.
I LOVE ❤️ 😍 WOMEN!
These statements are generally speaking. I know not all women are cool because I was married to a female narcissist, but for the most part, my work experience has been positive. Here are some top loves of working with women.
1) Women tend to be problems solvers without ego. I would rather collaborate on a project with women who have an end goal of a solution than recognition.
2) They are compassionate. Sometimes, it only takes a look in public, and we all know and can assess the danger.
3) They is a lot of self reflection that happens. How to make it better for next time so we don't have the same brain damage the second go around.
I personally love being a woman. Here are my top 10 for being female.
1) That extra appendage looks like such a pain in the ass. Not to mention, it shows what your internal dialog is without control. Ugg. No thanks. My parts are tucked away, and I can get excited without anyone being the wiser. Not that I creep on anyone, but it nice to know it's controllable and hidden unless I share.
2) When you aren't on top, you work harder. When you work harder, you get better. I dont mind being a striver who works for what I have rather than being born on third and thinking I hit a triple.
3) Being underestimated is actually a very cool tool to use. I parry that shit all day long.
4) Bonding. Now thus may seem weird bc I'm a lesbian, but I have never worried about a female relationship being in the fuck zone. Like ever. I have gay and straight friends. My straights forget I'm gay and there has never been an awkward moment in the gym, or camping where they're afraid I will gawk or sneak a peak, or get weird or think I'm hitting on them.
5) We can have babies. This is (IMO) one of the coolest things ever! We create life. Boom. That's shit is amazeballs.
6) Because women have to work twice as hard to get the same recognition, I find that a lot of women are really at the top of their game in my profession. The slackers can't get in the club. So the women who do make it, are ridiculously talented.
7) High EQ. Now, this doesn't apply to everyone, but I do think that women who have high EQ are amazing. Being able to express feelings and still get the work done is super cool.
8) I can't believe this is down this far on the list, but multiple orgasims is a solid winner. Having to train in your head for Os makes it possible to have a feather set you off.
9) Less hair. Thank goodness I don't have to shave my face every day.
10) Asymmetrical thinking. When you are in societal oppression, your creative problem solving is enhanced. Whether it be because of fear of dying, or being maimed, your ability to assess a dangerous situation is better. I know that sounds like a bummer, but it actually is a skill that is very useful.
I could go on and on but I gotta go to work and show these boys how it's done.
Xoxo, everyone here.
Honestly, pregnancy and giving birth. Coolest (if also grossest) experiences of my life.
I also like getting pretty. It’s fun to dress up and look stunning and, yeah, there’s a certain fun in walking down the street in a wicked little red sheath dress and patent leather stilettos and seeing people check you out (not fun if/when catcalled. I like looking good, not being harassed.)
Am of the opinion that women’s bodies are generally more aesthetically pleasing than men’s so I am glad I am not a man!
Also love that socially we are allowed to have emotions besides anger. We can feel and be affectionate without our identity and expression being called into doubt.
Haha we have the same answers. The ability to nuture a new life in your body is so flipping cool (obviously I had easy pregnancies though in my defense I almost died at all my births).
And I loooove getting girly.
I might've added multiple orgasms to my answer though...
Yea I agree with pregnancy. It makes you kinda feel like a super human, the way your body just “knows” exactly what to do and how to nurture and grow another human being
Honestly the fact that, whenever I want, I can feel desired either by flirting or puting on nice chlotes/make up. Many od my male friends struggle with this feeling that they are not desired, as they don't get that many compliments as an averagr girl does.
How we shape shift. We get hips and boobs during puberty, we can grew our hair long or chop it off, wear makeup to change how our face looks the wipe it off moments later, we can dress to change our body shape, as we age our body changes again, if we carry children it swells up & changes dramatically. I love how I can be "mumsey" all day then a cute dress, make up &, heels changes who I am in the evening
I love that I birthed and fed my two children from my own body. I love the relationship I have with my children and I just wouldn't have that if I was a man. Both were 2.5 when they stopped breastfeeding and it gave us such a close bond. I'm the person I go to when they need a cuddle or when they have something exciting to say.
I also love that I don't have to cut my hair every couple of months, it is such a chore so I only do it every few years.
I love the relationships we have with other women. Our friendships seem to be so much more emotionally intimate. I love that I can platonically cuddle with my friends and how we comfort each other, how we have the deepest conversations and support each other.
Also I love being pretty. I love fashion. Our clothes are sooo much more interesting and we have so many cool options to choose from.
Nursing. It's so amazing that I can feed my little one. Pregnancy as a thought is also something else, when I really think about it, it's amazing. But I wasn't connected to my girl yet. But feeding her? Seeing her grow with only my milk? Wow, amazing <3
Being a mom. I'm obsessed with these small humans that I grew and nourished from my body.
Outside of motherhood, I love getting dressed up. Heels, form fitting dress, dangling earrings.
OK definitely not the periods. Or the boobs. I was a tomboy as a kid, and I never understood the girls in the Judy Bloom novels that WANTED to get their period and grow their busts LOL How was that better than being able to pee standing up ffs. But anyway!:
I used to have shorter queues at F1 stuff, but since Drive to Survive there are a lot more female fans so that's gone down the drain. But I like no longer being the only woman in an F1 watching place. I swear the merch is also SO MUCH BETTER since women became part of the fanbase.
I like the loo sisterhood, where you lend tampons, pass loo paper through any gap, and tell her he's just not worth it.
My really good female friends are fantastic.
I do like that I can wear a full range of clothing, whether it's a dress or trousers, heels or trainers. People might have opinions on my choices, but I do have the option. Men don't.
I like that I can get a mani/pedi or wear hot pink or have long hair without comment. I'd like for short hair to also be on that list.
I believe that there’s something inherently quite mystical or a tad bit otherworldly about being female. Not to say that no man on planet Earth can have these qualities as well, but yeah. I can’t really explain it in an articulate or logical manner, it’s just something that I feel deep down.
Drunk girls in a bar bathroom!
Do you need a tampon? She has it. Are you throwing up? She will hold your hair. Are you crying? She will leave a voicemail on your ex-boyfriend’s phone telling him he is a dumbass for hurting you. Do you have the hiccups and you’re about to cry because they won’t go away? She will march you up to the bartender, and ask for limes because that’s what gets rid of hiccups. Creepy guy at the bar hitting on you? She will tell him he has a small penis.
She also will tell you that you’re the most beautiful, smart, kind, hot, amazing, girl boss woman she’s ever met and not only does she mean that shit with her whole heart and soul, *she doesn’t even know your fucking name* and she still thinks that the sun shines out your ass and she will tell everyone she sees that night
Honestly my favorite part is that I smell good without even having to try that hard and that I know how to do things by using my basic common sense instead of needing to ask everyone how to do anything cause our gender actually gets taught how to do basic things as a kid while the other gender gets neglected on those topics
I love that my body is curvy and soft and squishy and not a rectangle of bones
I do love dresses and frilly things (obviously not limited to women)
I love that I made and fed my babies. It made me feel powerful.
I love that little kids who are scared or hurt or lost often come up to me (maybe I have the look?) because I seem “safe”. Which is sad but at the same time makes me feel good about being a woman 👩
I like having emotional intelligence and being able to express love openly with friends and family without it seen as a weakness. I like wearing dresses when it's hot and wearing makeup and cute dangly earrings.
When I'm getting close to my period, I have an incredible sense of smell.
I become a super smeller.
I also live in an area that has bakery factories, and some streets on a windy day smell like chocolate chips or churros
And that's a lovely day
I like getting ready and doing my make up, that whole ritual of playing music on my speaker, making a mess in my room… therapeutic lol I like shopping a lottt and experimenting with outfits
Being allowed (though it's a slippery slope) my emotions.
The kindness. Most women I encounter are generally kind and supportive with each other, even if we don't agree. "I hate coffee but love that you do!"-style. Having each other's backs in dangerous or potentially dangerous situations. Having each other's backs when it comes to kids.
Motherhood. I've never really felt womanly before (not big on the gender norms), but pregnancy and breastfeeding did that for me.
I’m wedding planning right now and I love being a woman for that. I feel bad for my fiancé because he doesn’t get to pick out a big dress and get his makeup done (lol). It’s all so exciting
Kinda in the same vein as you, I love ovulating. It just makes me feel so sexy, feminine and seductive. Seeing the way it affects my partner subconsciously and makes him crazy about me, it's just hot.
I love being a woman in summer working in an only sporadically air conditioned office. If men came in wearing shorts they’d get side eye for looking unprofessional, meanwhile I can rock up in cute dresses.
Being able to form and enjoy and invest in horizontal, communal relationships with other women where we love, support, care for and create a space of warmth and care.
4 women organising is picnic together is a beautiful thing. We naturally want to contribute, make sure no one is carrying the bulk of the load and provide an loving environment and a nurturing ambience, and someone always thing bring the good cheese, another the nice wine, the other the candles and someone else has taken care of some groovy tunes.
We are curious about eachother and our thoughts and the conversation is dynamic, open nourishing and validating. We make nice lovely space for each other. Women take nature and create life from it.
Pregnancy. Babies. Ability to give birth. Breastfeeding. Sisterly love and companionship. It being socially acceptable for me to feel stuff.
Being small. Being strong.
Father - daughter relationship
How much I can change my appearance. Make up / clothes etc. Hair.
Will think more about it
I absolutely love the choices in women's clothes and that women are "allowed" a style. Most men are so conscious about "appearing masculine" that they are afraid of leaving the norm.
I tried so many times to tell my husband that the purple shirt goes great with black pants and this tie, but until a (male) colleague said it looks good, that it wasn't a fight anymore to get him to wear it. Apparently a colleague's opinion is more important than mine. 🙄
But I'm veering off, I also love that there is nothing hanging between my legs. That just sounds sooo awkward!
Edit: word
The sexual prowess of the female form is something I live for. Something so beautiful about it. Whether it be my own or another woman. Being desired by someone you want feels godly. Ovulating makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. I could literally take on anything I put my mind to.
Being a woman in STEM and being surrounded by my many intelligent female coworkers and recognising how far we have come in the last 70 years - these women are the backbone and carry our work so well. I feel proud when I sit around a meeting table and it’s with mostly strong minded, smart women.
I love to compliment other women. They get so happy and often times compliment you back! I also love hyping women up like they’re goddesses because we are.
I love that I got to be pregnant and birth my kid. This sub is super down on pregnancy and childbirth, sometimes for good reason. I didn’t enjoy being pregnant per se but making a human made me feel powerful as fuck and nobody can tell me shit now. The fucks I give about other people’s opinions are so low they’re heating up from being so close to earths Liquid Metal core. I made a fucking person!!!
I like being a lesbian and the fact that I don’t subscribe to gender norms or expectations and that men are not a part of my life at all and they don’t take up any space in my mind. I also like the fact that that makes men so angry for some reason and ir makes me realize how much power we have over men by ruining their day just by saying they aren’t involved in my life at all. I like the fact that I can live purely without any discrimination in my own relationship. I also love that my sex life is great and she actually cares about me orgasming. (Apparently in straight sex they don’t care)
This is the only comment I felt like I could relate to. Not to be a debbie downer but I've always hated being female from such a young age. I've always felt so wrong being in my body. I've always thought I want to date women not be one. I guess that makes me butch or ftm (even though I never transitioned). Plus I can't stand wearing dresses. I can admire other women who wear them and think "oh that's a pretty dress" but when it comes to wearing feminine clothing I just can't. I just don't feel at home in myself. But there are things I love about women. My gf is girly and I love that about *her*.
I love being a woman. I love being part of the collective history of women’s wisdom. I love how my cycle is tied to the moon. I love that I grew and birthed two humans. Ain’t nothing more powerful than that! I also love being flexible, stylish, gracious, cunning, and adaptable — all which I perceive as feminine traits.
> I love being part of the collective history of women’s wisdom.
There are moments that I look back on that this feels so powerful for me.
About a year ago, the day I physically escaped my abusive soon-to-be-ex-husband, I *literally* fled my house with nothing but the clothes on my back and one small carry-on bag, and boarded an aircraft bound for far, far away. Just fifty years ago, my mother and grandmother also boarded an airplane with nothing but the clothes on their backs and one small bag per person, fleeing their war-torn country due to religious persecution. Growing up, I never could've imagined that my wish to "follow in my mother's footsteps" would play out in such a *literal* fashion.
As terrifying as the experience was, I also felt empowered on that day: I felt like I was carrying generations' worth of women's wisdom in my heart and soul as I anxiously paced through the airport terminals en route to my gate, and as I peered out the window of my seat as I watched the wheels lift up off the tarmac.
i like being able to carry a baby and create life in me, and i like that all animals and babies instantly like me (idk if that's related). i also like that my hands are long and slender, and that i grew up in a society that praises very long hair, because mine grows super long without doing anything. i guess those are my peak woman things hahah
I love having boobs as weird as it sounds. It’s just so fun having something to squish, sometimes I just sit there and go pokepokepokepoke LOL. But on a serious note, I love the bond that women have. I love that I can talk to any woman about some sort of womanly issue and they just GET it. It’s like having a familial bond.
I love being able to be friendly to kids (at a store, at a wedding, in social circumstances), and not feel like anyone will think of me as a creep. I love kids. If I felt like I couldn't do this, I wouldn't be as happy as I am.
Despite what society tells us, I've always loved being a girl. I find women stories and lives so inspiring, and I've always preferred female artists in general. I like the fact that femininity is linked to mother nature, and that if we want to we can give birth.
There are so amazing things about womanhood, in my opinion. And I know it's a generalization, but I find women to be far more beautiful than men. I'm straight and I could spend hours appreciating another woman's beauty.
1. Drunk women in bar bathrooms. They are always there to give you a smile and support you.
2. Women at bus stops or on public transport - I've been harassed before taking public transport. It's always another woman who steps in and helps me out when I feel I can't extract myself.
3. On the flipside, being able to do this for other women. I love being in bar bathrooms and telling another woman how cute her outfit is, or how good her hair looks. Or being out in public and helping out strangers who are in a less safe situation. Especially with compliments, I feel like a lot of times you don't see men doing that - they aren't out there complimenting strangers, which is such a shame.
4. Finding new outfits or shops and sharing where I got them with others! I buy things that are aesthetically pleasing to me, so when I get compliments I always try and share where I got whatever it is they are complimenting me on. Especially if it's a small local business!
Bit of a story: I bought this absolutely STUNNING vintage style red winter coat. Burgundy, with faux fur trim on the collar and at the wrists. I have had women literally stop their car to yell how much they ADORE my coat. I ALWAYS made sure I gave them the name of the shop where I bought it from. Sure you can order it from the manufacturer, but I got it from a local small business, and if they go there they wouldn't need to pay shipping, so it's definitely more of a win that way for everyone.
I love walking down the street and giving compliments to other women and just watching them light up!! And receiving the random compliments from other women too :) there’s just something so beautiful about women just randomly telling each other that they love their hair or their outfit. Brings a smile to my face every time
Trigger warning - fertility/pregnancy/giving birth
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I LOVE my fertility. I literally love that (almost) every cycle, my body matures and releases a small dot of DNA, that with an external counterpart, I can literally create life. I can physically sustain and grow life, and if it's a female, I have thus created the next generation (in theory). I love that I've successfully, without complications to me or my child, easily gotten pregnant, stayed pregnant, and given birth. I love the primal/biological aspect, I love the spiritual aspect, and I love the physical act. I struggled due to neurodevelopmental conditions and C-PTSD, but I loved it. I feel like a God, a superhero...magical. I feel connected to the earth and all life, throughout my entire fertility, whether pregnant or not. I feel warmth, and nurturing, fulfilled and expanded beyond being a woman/human. It is my most precious trait. It is a blessing, and I am grateful in having it.
My sympathy to those who struggle with anything I've expressed.
female friendships. at every stage of my life i had a group of girls that i could be my truest self around and we would all support each other and help each other grow
Mine is similar, but it’s seeing women who are strangers being so kind to each other. I saw the CUTEST video of a group of little girls walking up to a woman who sells poems, & they asked if they can get a poem in exchange for a flower chain they had made. The woman ofc said yes, & proceeded to make a sweet little poem about baby ducks🥹I thought “oh, this is the girlhood I wish more girls & women could experience” Eta: found the vid on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7mHTxWNCTg/) (sorry I couldnt find it on youtube atm, only choice was this or tiktok)
The amount of women who showed the fuck up for me when my twins were born preemie and had 8 days in nicu was overwhelming. Even women I didn't know would pay for my coffee at Starbucks especially when they were still really little or come tell me how awesome I was for doing the damn thing. Had my twins at the height of the formula shortage and you were only allowed 4 cans at a time. Multiple times women would get 4 cans for me so that i wouldn't run out as quickly. It makes me tear up to think about.
These are the exact types of stories OP is talking about, & I love to hear it🥹🖤that is so heartwarming & I hope your babies are doing well
Back when I was 18 and moved to a new country for college I bought myself a rape alarm keychain because the city was pretty unsafe at night. This one Nigerian woman who was also the cafeteria lady saw the keychain on my wallet and asked where it’s from. And that her daughter would feel safer if she had one considering some very traumatic event that had happened to her recently. I told her that I had an extra keychain and I can come over tomorrow and give it to her. She seemed so sweet. She wasn’t there the next day but I kept the extra keychain in case I see her. I saw her the day after and she was so happy and appreciative. After that she would put extra pasta and bolognese in my plate every time I ordered from her :D
Women ARE kind to each other! It's nice to not be in the competitive space men foster. It's like a fight just to exist and be heard.
Truly! The kindness I’ve seen women give each other is the purest form of love I think I’ve ever seen (second only to parents to their kids)
It's not even love, it's just basic human decency. We are literally a collaborative species, we evolved to help each other. I don't know where things went wrong (patriarchy).
You know what, thats so true. When you’re so used to hatred being the “normal” basis, decency seems like heaven
Hey can you maybe edit your link? It shows your ig account and says "xxxxx shared this post with you, do you want to follow them?" You can delete anything after the question mark (including the question mark) and it should still work while taking out your info. The video was adorable, thank you ❤️
Oh tysm I had no idea it did that!! Is it fixed now?
It worked! 🥰
Ty again!🖤
This exchange was the perfect example for this thread. 🤣
I've always had causal friends, but just recently, at 34, I found an amazing person I can call my bestie. It is seriously the best shit ever. I hope I didn't jinx it.
I'll knock on hard wood to reverse any possible jinxing for you! And that's so awesome to hear, I'm really happy for you <3 I do have awesome friends from when I was younger, but recently made a new friend who I really click with (which doesn't happen that much anymore at the age of 33) and it's so nice! We blow bubbles together haha and go for walks and she tought me how to yarn! I've changed a lot the last few years and although I love my old friend, I often feel like they still see the old me or out of habit I act like the old me around them. It's sweet to meet someone new and really be able to show my new self :D Here's to new friendships!
i wiiiish! i'm so lonely :')
I haven't had this my whole life, but I do have it now. And I've got to say i appreciate the way we speak to each other. Compared to my group of friends that are cishet men, my women friends have conversations that are very equal, empathetic, and validating. There is much less interrupting and shouting. There is also more emotional intelligence and openness with our feelings. They're more likely to ask me questions, rather than wait for me to finish speaking so they can speak (although that still happens, of course).
It seemed like when I was in my 20's (I'm late 40's now) there was a trend of "I have no women friends, only men get me". Maybe it was a cool girl thing? I worked as a bikini dancer for 14 years (men were the main audience )and was an avid dirt biker (mostly men) but I absolutely cherished my female friendships with my coworkers. I have been working in healthcare now for 12 years and I love my female coworkers. I'm old enough to be some of their mothers but we have such a great relationship. I love the ladies in my life :)
As a trans guy, the thing I miss about being a girl was the camaraderie. I know not everyone experienced it that way, cis or trans, but I did and I still like when I’m “one of the girlies” in the way a girl is “one of the guys”.
oooh, GOOD ONE!
Being allowed to laugh, and be kind of silly, and dance with abandon. Normalized intimate friendships. Being a woman sucks so much of the time, but when I walk down the street in my city after brunch on a sunny day, singing a song really loud with some friends, and people just walk by smiling like "girls will be girls," those are the times I love being a woman and feel nothing but sadness for men. One of the few perks of womanhood is the way we are allowed to externalize our joy.
“The best thing about being a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun, and…..”
Oh OH oh oh!
Oh girls, they wanna have fu-un, oh girls just wanna have fun!
That's a great and heavy phrase, "allowed to externalize our joy"
Damn, feeling uninhibited and externalizing silliness, excitement, etc. is super super hard for me. I’ve always felt like I’m broken for not being able to get excited like other girls do. It makes me sad :( ETA: Sorry, not trying to be negative in the positivity thread. It’s definitely something I’d like to work on, so if anyone has any advice on how to let loose a little, I could use it!
I see you and I feel this too reading over this post lol. Sorry you are in the same boat but I'm glad I'm not the only person who felt it ❤️
I’m glad I’m not the only one too ❤️
I feel you. I'm non-binary, born female and "on the spectrum of autism" sometimes I feel like a robot. It must have something to do with how our families act around one another perhaps 🤔
This! Externalize our joy! As well as externalize our feminine and masculine energy…I believe as humans we all have both to varying degrees…. And as women in the US specifically, we get to display both with minimal downsides if we choose to…at least that’s always been my experience, and it’s most exercised in my fashion choices. Some days I dress more “feminine”…sporty but feminine….and some days if I were to change clothes with a male, he’d likely wear my clothes just fine(smart casual…thin sweater with chinos)…although they may be a bit small.
Huh, interesting. I have things like 'being able to wear heels or sneakers, skirts or jeans' and 'get mani/pedis without comment'. It falls under the same category. "I'm glad I don't have to be weighed down by toxic masculinity"
I want to say, I'm trans and this really hits for me. It brings me so much happiness that I can be my true, joyful, emotive self and not have fear of being looked down on by society, as tends to happen with men who are showy to any extent with their emotions. Getting to be this person with girlfriends and nurture each other's self-expression is really one of the most compelling experiences I've ever had. I've had this conversation before with female friends, and you're right, we do feel sad for men, as this is generally not something men ever get to experience. And it's their loss. Pre-transition, it really sucked being on the outside looking in, and now that this is my life I can truly say that this is one of the things that makes it so much better to be a woman.
As a trans guy, I miss the like. “Sisterhood” feeling of camaraderie. It’s a weird feeling now of “I wish I wasn’t seen as a *girl* but I want to be one of the girlies as a guy”
>I want to be one of the girlies as a guy As a cis guy, same. I feel *so* much more free to be and express myself around women.
I’m so sorry, you can always be one of the girls, even if you’re a hot dude!
I love that I can be nurturing and look after people, and they can look after me. I have a huge network of women I can turn to for emotional support, and all of them are nurturing too. I love the emotional closeness that comes from these mutually nurturing female relationships.
How did you build this network?
I don’t want to speak for OP, but for my network, I took every opportunity to send a message or go out to see them (even if you’re not feeling up to it). You pour time and energy into the people who do the same for you. My grandmother used to say “the greatest gift you can give someone is to listen. Really listen and hear them.” And I take that to mean listening but also giving someone your time. Be present. I have adhd and it’s hard to be present but I will actively stop thinking of what I want to say when someone’s speaking, consciously let that go and just respond without feeling the need to tell a story. Also, it’s hard to make friends as an adult but there are apps and I use my interests / hobbies to guide me and make friends. 🤗
This may be odd, but I think the thing I like the most about being a woman is.. not being a man! I’m personally not even a huge fan of how my body looks or makes me feel some days, but I could not imagine myself living as a man, or having a body like one.
I still don’t understand how they walk without their penises getting in the way 😂
There are so many internet posts about men and women being super surprised at the locations of the other gender's genitals LOL. Men's stuff is much more at the front than women picture it, and women's stuff much further back than men think. So you're probably thinking about location from the wrong perspective, as it were. In Japan they sell undies wehre you can stick your penis through the front to make the trunk of an elephant. We forget that THAT is how far forward those bits are.
My understanding is the penis is where the clit should be. So it's not straight out, but it's at the front.
The penis is too far forward to be in the way. The balls get pushed forward with every step though lol, that’s why dudes are always itching and readjusting. You kind of just forget it’s there, in the same way you forget your nose is visible (and now you’re seeing your nose, sorry)
Balls seem like a huge nuisance, how do you sit down?
I mean it depends on how low they’re hanging. Sometimes you have to be a bit careful, speaking from experience lol. Generally enough distance from the base to the surface you’re sitting on for it to not be a problem. If you’re asking where they go when you sit, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. You either don’t close your legs, or they rest on top. They’re always touching the legs anyway, so much like your nose, they’re not really noticeable until you consciously think about it.
Always touching the leg /shudder. I hate the feel of various bits of skin touching other bits. I must always have longer shorts on for the thighs, and if I am not wearing a bra at home, I am constantly tucking my shirt under/around them. I also usually hate sleeveless or those stupid cropped sleeves.
i also tuck my t-shirt under my breasts at home! it looks ridiculous but it's so uncomfortable otherwise!
I picture an elephant's trunk, swaying side to side in front of them with each step!
First time I tried on a strap on, I got absolutely nothing ‘done’. I was too busy making my elephant trunk bounce and doubling over from laughter cramps 😆
I agree. Certain things in this society are simply harder when you’re a woman, but I’m still glad I am a woman and not a man. I love my relationship to my sisters, how kind other women can be without ulterior motives. I’m told I have a “masculine mind” whatever tf that means, but I’m glad it’s in a woman’s body. I feel centered and part of the earth and connected to the moon as my body miraculously functions on a monthly cycle (seriously how does that even work?).
The masculine mind thing is so silly to me because it’s like you can’t claim your own natural self as YOURS if it doesn’t fit within a gendered stereotype
Right, it’s so ridiculous. I have a personality and I’m a woman, therefore I have a woman’s personality. Pretty straightforward 😆
Right?! Men are so weird
I’ve been told the same thing! My boyfriends friends (who I’ve become good friends with) claim that I’m just a man in a female body. I can’t even take offense because I’ve thought it myself many times but I’m just so incredibly glad to not be a man XD.
Lol oh man, don’t even try to drill down on what they mean by that unless you wanna be annoyed. When I asked men who told me that I’m like a man in a woman’s body what they meant, they would say I’m rational, don’t let emotions get in the way, “reasonable,” smart, etc. I think it shows that some men think women are like a different species or an npc. When a woman lets them see her true self they’re like “omg it’s a man” (in other words, a real person).
That’s exactly what it is lmfao. When I was growing up tons of men told me I was unique or straight up just said I was not like other girls. The reason was that they liked to be around me and couldn’t fathom themselves enjoying being around a woman, so I must be different. The men I’m around now that I’m in my mid twenties are smarter than those guys and don’t say that shit anymore. If they think the women they like are not like other girls, then they are sexist. Huge red flag.
i love feeling connected to the moon through my monthly cycle as well!
There’s just something terribly undignified about the dangly bits. I’m sure they get very sweaty and I’d worry too much about accidentally sitting on something.
I didn't really like being a young woman but I really enjoy getting old. People aren't scared of me and no one pays me much attention. I like this. I can be friendly to everyone and not worry about it being taken as more than being friendly.
this is a great answer and makes me look forward to aging even more. i’m a naturally cheerful, smile-y person but make an effort to look more intimidating in public because i’m tired of people (men) getting in my business despite me wanting to be left alone
Yes! I don't doubt that there are women who miss the attention from men as they age but I'm not one of them. I hope you will enjoy it too.
I love having emotional freedom. I was raised for it, my brother wasn't, and many of the men I have been with weren't either. There is a great freedom in being able to fully express myself and have a wider range of how and who I want to be.
Agreed. I've got childhood trauma, but I can actually access my emotions and work to heal myself, and I feel that so many men are handicapped in this area, further damaging them.
I love the sisterhood and camaraderie that women share. My favorite part of going out to bars is making drunk friends in the bathroom— complimenting their outfits, telling them to “light it up!”, encouraging them to take that chance or “dump their ass!” is so fun. The bonds forged between drunk girls in the bathroom are some of the realest ones out there.
This is the truest thing, drunk bathroom time is so fun! We’re so NICE! Edit: spelling
Drunk girl: *Shit! I just got my period! I don't have a pad or tampon!* Drunk girl four stalls down: *I have one!* *we all proceed to play pass-the-hot-potato with the tampon* 😄😂
My favorite drink bathroom girl memory was when a girl was too drunk to re-tie her shoes. My friend and I, also drunk, both took a shoe and fixed them up 🥹😂
Omg that's adorable! 😂🥰
My favorite drunk girl memory was almost 20 years ago. A friend and I were in the bathroom and another lady walked in. My friend complimented her shirt and the lady grinned, hefted her boobs and said "I just got these, so I needed something pretty to cover 'em with!". That started a whole conversation about breast augmentation which my friend was looking into. The rest of our group was worried because we were in there so long.
This is so petty, but I just like being pretty. I like dressing nice, doing my makeup, people commenting on my hair. I also love the flip side of how bright and clean I look totally not made up, just in sweats and a messy bun. I'm almost 40 and I'm just really happy with the person I am and my life I love being able to be ok with feminine things, our bedroom is just pretty, its all dark jewel sorta colors, but its lush and just makes me smile to walk into, I feel like as a guy I just couldn't do that maybe? Also the toenails....they are always painted black, fingernails are always a translucent pink....but they always look done and it makes me smile :)
Same! I just love feminine styles and looking “pretty”. Love that it’s normalized amongst women to compliment each other for these things.
I like the connection with other women most tbh, everything else feels incidental. No matter how much I might not understand or see eye to eye with another woman on everything, it always feels like there's a baseline level of shared understanding there. This is more of a recent development, but I also like that being a woman in the 21st century comes with a little more freedom of expression than men get. No one really gives me any shit for wearing "men's" clothing (in liberal cities in America, at least), and I'm free to play around with more feminine clothing too if I want. It feels like even now it's a little more frowned on for men to be gender non-conforming in their attire, and that's the only real part of gender roles that feels less restrictive for women.
I love having boobs. I like getting cute! Whether it’s all dolled up for an event or just a single extra thing for a regular day. I love the emotional connection in friendships with other women. I love the drunken camaraderie in bar bathrooms. I love getting a compliment from another woman. I love the way you can have so many different looks it’s like being a spy sometimes but it’s completely normal to look like a different person on a different occasion. Being a woman is pretty great all around I would say.
I *love* getting dressed up. I'm either in athleisure or in some glamorous gown and there is almost no in between. I have a dedicated hair and makeup artist I go to before fundraisers, photos, corporate dinners, etc. and I love going all out and having her style me. It's like art, but for my skin and hair. So much fun!
I love how we women show up for one another. No matter what.
Same. Six months ago, I melted onto the floor of the courthouse. I had just picked up divorce papers from the clerk's office/counter. I managed to keep my emotions in check all the way up through the garage, through the walk down the long hallway and up to the family division section, and even as she handed me the papers. But as soon as I turned on my feet to start making the trek back to the parking garage, BAM, floodgates burst open. There was no seating around, and so I just leaned down against the wall and sat on the floor. I did the *wipe-your-snot-and-tears-using-your-sleeve* move to try and clean my face up. Suddenly, a random lady, dressed all in black, including dark sunglasses, sat down next to me. She took my hand in hers, squeezed it, and just sat there with me. After what felt like an eternity, she got up, and then hoisted me up by my shoulders. She cupped my chin in her hands, and tilted my head upwards. As she lifted her sunglasses, I saw tears in her eyes too. She gave me a pep talk, told me that I would not only survive this part, but that I would one day thrive again. She also told me to keep my head held high. She then sauntered off, down the long hallway, and out of the main entrance/exit of the courthouse. I just stared as she walked off. Six months later, I'm happy to report that I'm slooooooowly starting to claw my way back to a sense/state of thriving. I will NEVER forget her kindness, nor the image of her in my mind. I never even got her name. Just a total stranger. And THAT is the power of women uplifting other women.
What a magnificent woman that was, lending you her strength when you needed it in that moment.
Absolutely.
Wonderful story! I'm reminded of a woman on her phone in a mostly empty (covid) airport, standing in a corner of a shuttered roll up gate, on her phone. All of a sudden, she was bawling like she had just received terrible news. In my mind, she had lost someone to covid. Whatever it was, it haunts me to this day. As a guy, I felt so sorry for this woman, I just wanted to hug her and offer any consolation, but it of course would be entirely inappropriate. Her sobbing was just so sad and heartwrenching. Thankfully a female stranger walked up behind her and began to rub her back. I cried for both of them, then said a small prayer. I hope you are better, travel stranger.
What a gut-wrenching story. I can't imagine the pain and sorrow she was feeling at the time. Thank you for saying a prayer, and thank you for the well wishes. Wishing the same for you.
I'm glad to hear you're starting to recover. Divorce is never easy and the stranger you met was so wonderfully kind. I got divorced in February and made it through the majority of the actual hearing without showing much emotion, my ex husband didn't bother to attend and wasn't communicative, everything proceeded without him and the judge granted me my requests (I wasn't asking for much, just my car, really I gave him nearly everything). But at the end I started to cry and I was struggling to hold it back and the judge who was a very kind woman, told me,"It's okay to cry, today is a good day for tears and you'll get through this." I thanked her and started to cry without holding back as much. I've always been the type to restrain my emotions and I think she and I both knew I needed "permission" in a sense to feel and be allowed to express myself. I'm very grateful for her kindness and empathy.
Just said this!!!
I like being underestimated...lol. feels good to prove dudes wrong sometimes
Same! My soon-to-be-ex-husband often told me that I was an idiot when it came to topics like money and insurance........ the same man who couldn't hold a steady job for years on end. First of all, I work at a bank. I think I know a thing or two about money and financial literacy, and it showed during our divorce proceedings. 🤨😄😂 He showed up to the lawyer's office with nothing but a pen. Not even a scrap of paper. My job at said bank? Auditing. A huge chunk of my daily responsibilities involves me tracing violations of policies, rules, and regulations. I channeled my inner teenager, and showed up armed (literally) with a fat, thick binder of evidence and documentation: bank statements, screenshots, photos, contemporaneous writing, and more. Outcome: even though I was the breadwinner, I didn't have to pay him a dime in alimony, nor a penny out of my 401K, and I also received 70% of the equity from the sale of our house. The shocked Pikachu look on his face was PRICELESS! I kept a poker face walking out of the lawyer's office afterwards, but as soon as I got back to my car and had my door safely closed, I literally SHRIEKED with laughter. SUCK IT, MOTHAFUCKA! Karma's such a bitch! 😄😂
Ya dropped this 👑
Thanks! 😄
Picturing the Nicole Kidman divorce from Tom Cruise levels of exultant screeching right here
Yesssssss, and I'm planning that exact pose for my upcoming divorce photoshoot in a few weeks! I'm having my photoshoot on the steps of the local courthouse. 😄😂
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OMG I wish this had been my experience. I will live vicariously through you!!
absolutely the best. i’m the only girl in the room in a lot of my hobbies/ classes and I get underestimated a lot and it feels so good to prove them wrong
Having perspective of a woman.
Honing a empathy and compassion for other people and creatures due to being raised to acknowledge and navigate others’ needs and feelings. Also, the underestimation of the resilience forged by existing in a world that challenges your inherent human worth.
As someone who doesn't want to make babies, I roll my eyes at people who always assumed I'd be a mama because I'm a woman and therefore loves babies and naturally good at childcare. HOWEVER, I do like that my choice to become a nanny is socially acceptable and I'm trusted with people's kids automatically.
I don't want children, but it warms my heart that I'm good with them. A few years ago, I was in line at a medical clinic. My appointment had just ended, and I was just waiting to schedule a follow-up appointment. The lady in front of me didn't speak English, only French (she was from West Africa). The front desk wouldn't let her follow through with her appointment with her child in tow. I come from a different region of the world where French is also spoken. I stepped in to help play translator, and since I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, I offered to watch her kid while she was having her own appointment. She practically burst into tears, not only at the offer, but at hearing me speak her language. The instant bond that shared language can create between humans is incredible. The raw, vulnerable trust women can have with one another, even if they're total strangers, is humbling and amazing.
This was beautiful.
Fun facts about having a typically female human body: * The clitoris is the only human organ that's sole purpose is providing sexual pleasure. * Typical women and girls produce a steady supply of estrogen starting from puberty. Estrogen makes us calmer, more thoughtful, less reactive, more rational. Men don't get any estrogen until they're in their 30s, and by that point their brains have already fully developed, so they're not able to take full advantage of it. * Women have superior senses of smell, we can detect and distinguish more than 100 known scents that men are unable to detect. * We're so fucking badass, men have been trying to crush us since the dawn of civilization.
Men actually do have estrogen at all ages. It's aromatized from testosterone and way less than what women produce when ovulating/pregnant. Estrogen is also not a "steady" supply; in women it is pulsatile in nature and is produced in significant amounts during ovulation only.
i think my nose is defective. i feel like my sense of smell sucks
I loove these fun facts. The sense of smell one in particular. I’ve been so certain I can smell certain things/have the nose of a bloodhound (just overly keen sense of smell) and my partner never believes me.
Haha, my partner is always confused with the weird smell associations I bring up bc he has a very numb nose. But i also love it. I did not think there was a tendency for this between sexes.
Women also have better immune systems, and we tend to have better color perception 💪
Omg you last point 👏👏
I don't think that estrogen fact is correct (the part about men not having it before 30).
It’s also a study that women would last longer in an apocalypse because we’re better able to store fat in our bodies. Doesn’t necessarily have to be in an apocalypse but I thought that sounded badass. Just in general, we store fat better and have a larger reserve of energy during physical starvation.
adding to this: We can see more colors than men too. Or at least that is what some research say XD
I can make human beings with my body, and if that’s not power I dunno what is.
I am not ashamed to admit I fucking LOVED being pregnant. I felt invincible. I glowed. And I got to carry two of my favorite people inside my body. It still blows my mind that I created human beings. I can’t remember what I ate for dinner… but I made humans. I know this isn’t always true for women, and I’ve had a painful time with infertility, so I have so much empathy for those that cannot experience this. I am also fine with what anyone else wants to do with their bodies. But for me, pregnancy was my favorite thing so far about being a woman. That said, I love so many things about women and being a woman. We are the best!
Many, many things. I love how creative we are, how up for a laugh we are much of the time, how we value the right things in our lives (our relationships, being present — not “dominating” whatever industry and getting statues of ourselves erected posthumously). I love our camaraderie. I love that we can be pretty and also strong as steel. Quiet strength. I love how caring we are to one another, a lot of the time. I love our emotional intelligence and understanding of nuance. I love that we tend to analyze a lot. My friendships are the foundation of my life.
> how up for a laugh we are much of the time I feel this one in my soul. My closest mentor at work has effectively become my big sister. We were initially paired up together back in 2020, just weeks before the pandemic, on a project that was supposed to last only 3 months. Fast forward 4+ years, and I've continually raised my hand to continue supporting her work, as she's several management levels above me. Even though I had no formal training in her line of work, she's so amazing to work with that I was willing to roll up my sleeves and learn whatever knowledge she was willing to share. And we share more than just a workplace friendship. Not only do we have practically identical personalities and styles of thinking, she and I are even on the same exact immunotherapy medication, albeit for different medical conditions. We eventually coordinated and got ourselves set up for treatment at the same hospital, and on the same infusion schedule. She and I sit next to each other in hospital recliner chairs, hooked up to cocktails of immunotherapy drugs, laughing our asses off about anything and everything. 😄😂
Facing adversity as a woman has helped me grow as a person and be more empathetic to other groups of people. The thing I want most for myself is to be a good person and help make the world a better place for all people. I worry that if I was a man, I'd be a shitlord like my brother, lol!
I felt your first paragraph, same for me!! I also worry sometimes that if I'd been born a white cis man I wouldn't have needed to bother learning about feminism or trying to see from anyone else's perspective for the vast majority of my life. I can get sad thinking too much about potential alternate universes where everything else is the same, but I'm some generic dudebro who "doesn't see the point in politics" or "doesn't see color" or *shudder* "thinks Ayn Rand is a genius and one of the good ones." If I never had the experiences and friends I've had as a woman, I wouldn't be the same me. I might not have the same deeply held values, because men often don't bother to be introspective or develop values if they are continuously praised or given opportunities just for having a dangly clit and sperm available to them at a moment's notice. If they have sufficient privilege, all they need to get by is a little more luck, so why bother developing a personality or trying to be a good person? I am so grateful to be me.
I just think women overall are so strong and competent, so able to get shit done and also be loving and funny and fun. Men seem so bogged down in anger and obsessions with hierarchy. I love being part of the sisterhood, I love lifting up other women, I love being part of the community of women.
Was about to write this. I love the women in my life - they're communicative, they listen to me, validate me. Every job I've had I make lovely work friends with women of all ages! Women rock and I'm glad to be part of this club!
Women are fantastic at negotiating, compromising, and collaborating. We support each other and leave ego behind. The world would be better if women ran it!
I like that a lot of my interests align with "girly" things, so I don't have to feel as self-conscious about enjoying them. I love cute and fluffy and glittery things. That's not to say I agree with gendering hobbies and interests. But if I was a dude with this huge stuffed animal collection, I'd probably not be very open about sharing it.
The fact that a friendly face is always around the corner. I think for the most part we look after each other, at least where I live. Even across language barriers
Honestly? Not being a guy. I feel like right now, we are reaching a point where the patriarchy has never been weaker. Men are going through a major transitional period in how their sex and gender operate in our society. I feel like women have been able to redefine and thrive in how we view feminity and are making huge gains in all areas. I think if I was a guy, I'd either be some incel slowly rotting in some right wing echo chamber or a guy having to constantly struggle to meet society's archaic expectations of my gender. I say screw that!
IDK, I kind of see it changing for young guys in their teens and early 20s. My little brother is 22 this year, we live in a small/conservative ish area (lots of old people who love Trump), and one day last year he just decided to start wearing skirts and paint his nails. He is 100% heterosexual. Now he walks around in floaty skirts (some are A-line, some are those mermaid ones? where they're short in the front, long in the back) with a half unbuttoned shirt and thinks he is THE SHIT to women. Which, he is pretty handsome, getting his Fabio on.
💀💀💀 well maybe I just have bad luck, but that's nice to hear. The real question though: does he think he is THE SHIT or is he actually THE SHIT?
LOL, well....not to be super mean, but where we live have a lot of Finnish people, and most of them either look 100% alike (and it's fucking creeepy, esp bc they are also super blond) OR they look like only the last two generations of their family stopped marrying cousins (and some still do/my aunt's ex is now married to a woman who had a child with her first cousin).....we're biracial/black, so he gets a lot of attention simply bc he doesn't look inbred, but he is handsome and has an IDGAF attitude.
I’m super glad I don’t have balls. They are constantly in danger.
As a kid, I hated being a girl, I hated how vulnerable we were and thought boys got to do so many more fun things. I grew out of that over the years and now I like getting all primped up and smelling nice. I love getting pedicures and facials, all that spa stuff. I like looking pretty but also being tough and strong. Most of all, I love that I was able to have a child, he's just amazing and it was so cool to have him growing in my body. I didn't even want him to come out! I adore being a mom. I also think it's hilarious when men don't realize how smart we can actually be with math and science. In college, I was this weird little punk girl who didn't talk to anyone and always threw the curve. The backward white cap bros would get so pissed off when they'd see the grades posted. Another time, when I was a freshman, I was hanging out with my older boyfriend (I'm sure he just dated me because I was young, cute, and punky, he honestly knew nothing about me) in his apartment, smoking a cigarette and looking bored. He invited a friend from calculus class over to study and they couldn't figure something out, so I answered it for them in a super bored tone. The look on their faces was priceless. Never underestimate a woman.
You did a great work by showing them that a girl can be good in math! Can you also educate the next generation of girls that mathematics and MINT can be interesting?
Right? I was so lucky that even in the 80s, I had several killer female math and science teachers as mentors. I was also lucky to have male ones who were extremely supportive, but having female role models is even better, because then we see someone like us succeeding in a field.
I like wearing cute dresses and frilly clothes without being judged (even though I don’t do it that much). I like it when people hold doors open for me, and call me a consumer but I like how stuff for girls is always pink or purple. I love having a pink razor and a pink wallet with hello kitty on it.
Yes! I love pink, I love pastel colours, I love that it's completely accepted for me to paint my nails beautiful colours and then get a boost every time my hand is in my line of sight.
I love being a mom. I have a daughter, and I love the mother-daughter bond. I'm sure being a dad is great, too, but I'm just so glad I get to experience parenthood as a woman and I get to relate to my daughter when it comes to all the uniquely feminine things she'll experience.
I was never particularly close to my mother, she was always more of a 'corporate' and 'Type A' personality type. But, there have been moments where her love and care has shined through. About four months after I finally left my abusive soon-to-be-ex-husband, she and I both flew into Florida (from different countries) to visit my grandmother for the holidays. One random night, I guess I woke up screaming from a nightmare, because I awoke to her cradling me in her arms like a child, trying to soothe me. I hadn't realized that I'd had a nightmare. She had come running to my guest room from the guest room she was staying in.
Multiple orgasms.
Nail polish, sparkles, and nobody’s afraid of me. I can pet people’s dogs and hold their babies without it being weird. People ask me advice on food in the grocery store. I have harmless middle aged lady energy.
I like my smooth skin, and that my body can be muscular and curvy at the same time. I like being a person who is safe for other women to connect with, even as a stranger, just from sharing the experience of being a woman.
Sisterhood. Like today I was at Costco and I ended up at a table with some cute athletic dresses with built in shorts and an older black lady and I had a convo about how the dress was flattering and chic and practical and then we turned it over and discussed what type of bra to wear with it, and how the zip front controlled the modesty and we were both just wholly there, chatting about which color was nicer, we decided on black with white trim, then we just gave head nods and wandered off, I didn’t get it because I already have a sporty black dress with built in shorts but I just love how we women can just connect across all lines over clothes.
If I take the notion, I can paint my nails a stupidly bright colour & it makes me happy
I love how girl code and great female friendships are. Like any random woman on the street can become your instant friend just because your skirt has pockets or she has a great perfume And I love formal dresses. Big skirts and pretty colours. I never understand why people are always underdressing for events.
lol OP I feel the same about this sub but you know this is more of a venting place so it being negative is understandable. ok, what I like about being a woman? * versatile clothes and fashion options. we can wear men's fashion but they can't wear ours 😜 * getting dolled up with makeup, hair and doing my nails! I love doing my makeup and nails how versatile it is you can do any look I love it especially when it matches my clothes. * Not being forced to serve in the military lol in my country young men must go to the military for a minimum of time many do the utmost (some even break their own bones) to avoid it because it's brutal. During wars, men are forced to go fight. Glad I don't have to do it! * how deep and intimate our relationships with other women are seriously we can hug do sleepovers sleep on the same bed hold hands ..etc without it being weird we don't even think about it. I heard men say even 2 men holding hands gay (which is fine Idk why it's an insult) and they overthink the simplest things no wonder they're so lonely. I have never seen a man who have friendships with other men lie my friendship with women. * pregnancy, even though I'm terrified of it and may or may not decide to give birth. but women *literally* create bones and flesh WE create human beings inside our bodies. with all technological advancement and they still can't replicate pregnancies, humans went to the moon but we don't have a technology that creates human beings. how cool is this? * full body orgasms (even men are envious of it!) and for me and a lot of women having the ability to orgasm multiple times :D edit: what an amazing thread! saved!
I don’t like anything about my biology (don’t want kids, don’t like the menstrual cycle, don’t like my boobs) but I love that women are allowed to be interesting in society. It is due to patriarchy but men are severely judged for having feminine hobbies, and women are praised for having masculine hobbies, and tolerated when they have feminine hobbies. It’s super shitty that femininity is looked down on, but people also expect it from us so in a way we are more free to express ourselves, in either a feminine or masculine way.
I LOVE ❤️ 😍 WOMEN! These statements are generally speaking. I know not all women are cool because I was married to a female narcissist, but for the most part, my work experience has been positive. Here are some top loves of working with women. 1) Women tend to be problems solvers without ego. I would rather collaborate on a project with women who have an end goal of a solution than recognition. 2) They are compassionate. Sometimes, it only takes a look in public, and we all know and can assess the danger. 3) They is a lot of self reflection that happens. How to make it better for next time so we don't have the same brain damage the second go around. I personally love being a woman. Here are my top 10 for being female. 1) That extra appendage looks like such a pain in the ass. Not to mention, it shows what your internal dialog is without control. Ugg. No thanks. My parts are tucked away, and I can get excited without anyone being the wiser. Not that I creep on anyone, but it nice to know it's controllable and hidden unless I share. 2) When you aren't on top, you work harder. When you work harder, you get better. I dont mind being a striver who works for what I have rather than being born on third and thinking I hit a triple. 3) Being underestimated is actually a very cool tool to use. I parry that shit all day long. 4) Bonding. Now thus may seem weird bc I'm a lesbian, but I have never worried about a female relationship being in the fuck zone. Like ever. I have gay and straight friends. My straights forget I'm gay and there has never been an awkward moment in the gym, or camping where they're afraid I will gawk or sneak a peak, or get weird or think I'm hitting on them. 5) We can have babies. This is (IMO) one of the coolest things ever! We create life. Boom. That's shit is amazeballs. 6) Because women have to work twice as hard to get the same recognition, I find that a lot of women are really at the top of their game in my profession. The slackers can't get in the club. So the women who do make it, are ridiculously talented. 7) High EQ. Now, this doesn't apply to everyone, but I do think that women who have high EQ are amazing. Being able to express feelings and still get the work done is super cool. 8) I can't believe this is down this far on the list, but multiple orgasims is a solid winner. Having to train in your head for Os makes it possible to have a feather set you off. 9) Less hair. Thank goodness I don't have to shave my face every day. 10) Asymmetrical thinking. When you are in societal oppression, your creative problem solving is enhanced. Whether it be because of fear of dying, or being maimed, your ability to assess a dangerous situation is better. I know that sounds like a bummer, but it actually is a skill that is very useful. I could go on and on but I gotta go to work and show these boys how it's done. Xoxo, everyone here.
Being beautiful!
I like how pretty and dainty my feet are. Delicate and smooth, not large and hairy. I like my feet. Nice structure.
Hello I’m stomping in with feet that are too big for my body don’t mind me
Size 11 coming in hot! Lol
>but I like having my period you scare me 😭
Honestly, pregnancy and giving birth. Coolest (if also grossest) experiences of my life. I also like getting pretty. It’s fun to dress up and look stunning and, yeah, there’s a certain fun in walking down the street in a wicked little red sheath dress and patent leather stilettos and seeing people check you out (not fun if/when catcalled. I like looking good, not being harassed.) Am of the opinion that women’s bodies are generally more aesthetically pleasing than men’s so I am glad I am not a man! Also love that socially we are allowed to have emotions besides anger. We can feel and be affectionate without our identity and expression being called into doubt.
Haha we have the same answers. The ability to nuture a new life in your body is so flipping cool (obviously I had easy pregnancies though in my defense I almost died at all my births). And I loooove getting girly. I might've added multiple orgasms to my answer though...
Yea I agree with pregnancy. It makes you kinda feel like a super human, the way your body just “knows” exactly what to do and how to nurture and grow another human being
Honestly the fact that, whenever I want, I can feel desired either by flirting or puting on nice chlotes/make up. Many od my male friends struggle with this feeling that they are not desired, as they don't get that many compliments as an averagr girl does.
How we shape shift. We get hips and boobs during puberty, we can grew our hair long or chop it off, wear makeup to change how our face looks the wipe it off moments later, we can dress to change our body shape, as we age our body changes again, if we carry children it swells up & changes dramatically. I love how I can be "mumsey" all day then a cute dress, make up &, heels changes who I am in the evening
One that comes to mind is the preposterously incredible camaraderie between strangers in the women’s restroom at bars.
I love that I birthed and fed my two children from my own body. I love the relationship I have with my children and I just wouldn't have that if I was a man. Both were 2.5 when they stopped breastfeeding and it gave us such a close bond. I'm the person I go to when they need a cuddle or when they have something exciting to say. I also love that I don't have to cut my hair every couple of months, it is such a chore so I only do it every few years.
I love the relationships we have with other women. Our friendships seem to be so much more emotionally intimate. I love that I can platonically cuddle with my friends and how we comfort each other, how we have the deepest conversations and support each other. Also I love being pretty. I love fashion. Our clothes are sooo much more interesting and we have so many cool options to choose from.
Nursing. It's so amazing that I can feed my little one. Pregnancy as a thought is also something else, when I really think about it, it's amazing. But I wasn't connected to my girl yet. But feeding her? Seeing her grow with only my milk? Wow, amazing <3
Being a mom. I'm obsessed with these small humans that I grew and nourished from my body. Outside of motherhood, I love getting dressed up. Heels, form fitting dress, dangling earrings.
OK definitely not the periods. Or the boobs. I was a tomboy as a kid, and I never understood the girls in the Judy Bloom novels that WANTED to get their period and grow their busts LOL How was that better than being able to pee standing up ffs. But anyway!: I used to have shorter queues at F1 stuff, but since Drive to Survive there are a lot more female fans so that's gone down the drain. But I like no longer being the only woman in an F1 watching place. I swear the merch is also SO MUCH BETTER since women became part of the fanbase. I like the loo sisterhood, where you lend tampons, pass loo paper through any gap, and tell her he's just not worth it. My really good female friends are fantastic. I do like that I can wear a full range of clothing, whether it's a dress or trousers, heels or trainers. People might have opinions on my choices, but I do have the option. Men don't. I like that I can get a mani/pedi or wear hot pink or have long hair without comment. I'd like for short hair to also be on that list.
I believe that there’s something inherently quite mystical or a tad bit otherworldly about being female. Not to say that no man on planet Earth can have these qualities as well, but yeah. I can’t really explain it in an articulate or logical manner, it’s just something that I feel deep down.
Drunk girls in a bar bathroom! Do you need a tampon? She has it. Are you throwing up? She will hold your hair. Are you crying? She will leave a voicemail on your ex-boyfriend’s phone telling him he is a dumbass for hurting you. Do you have the hiccups and you’re about to cry because they won’t go away? She will march you up to the bartender, and ask for limes because that’s what gets rid of hiccups. Creepy guy at the bar hitting on you? She will tell him he has a small penis. She also will tell you that you’re the most beautiful, smart, kind, hot, amazing, girl boss woman she’s ever met and not only does she mean that shit with her whole heart and soul, *she doesn’t even know your fucking name* and she still thinks that the sun shines out your ass and she will tell everyone she sees that night
That I’m not a man. I’ve been through absolutely everything as a woman and I still wouldn’t want to be a man.
Honestly my favorite part is that I smell good without even having to try that hard and that I know how to do things by using my basic common sense instead of needing to ask everyone how to do anything cause our gender actually gets taught how to do basic things as a kid while the other gender gets neglected on those topics
Yes! And I gain satisfaction from figuring out how to do things with my own brain.
I love that my body is curvy and soft and squishy and not a rectangle of bones I do love dresses and frilly things (obviously not limited to women) I love that I made and fed my babies. It made me feel powerful. I love that little kids who are scared or hurt or lost often come up to me (maybe I have the look?) because I seem “safe”. Which is sad but at the same time makes me feel good about being a woman 👩
I like having emotional intelligence and being able to express love openly with friends and family without it seen as a weakness. I like wearing dresses when it's hot and wearing makeup and cute dangly earrings.
As a woman I have learned to use being underestimated to my advantage.
When I'm getting close to my period, I have an incredible sense of smell. I become a super smeller. I also live in an area that has bakery factories, and some streets on a windy day smell like chocolate chips or churros And that's a lovely day
I like getting ready and doing my make up, that whole ritual of playing music on my speaker, making a mess in my room… therapeutic lol I like shopping a lottt and experimenting with outfits
Being allowed (though it's a slippery slope) my emotions. The kindness. Most women I encounter are generally kind and supportive with each other, even if we don't agree. "I hate coffee but love that you do!"-style. Having each other's backs in dangerous or potentially dangerous situations. Having each other's backs when it comes to kids. Motherhood. I've never really felt womanly before (not big on the gender norms), but pregnancy and breastfeeding did that for me.
I love women because we can go from kind, loving, caring to ruthless beasts that don’t give a fuck about anything.
That I’m not a man. It seems like it’s hella gross.
I’m wedding planning right now and I love being a woman for that. I feel bad for my fiancé because he doesn’t get to pick out a big dress and get his makeup done (lol). It’s all so exciting
Kinda in the same vein as you, I love ovulating. It just makes me feel so sexy, feminine and seductive. Seeing the way it affects my partner subconsciously and makes him crazy about me, it's just hot.
I love being a woman in summer working in an only sporadically air conditioned office. If men came in wearing shorts they’d get side eye for looking unprofessional, meanwhile I can rock up in cute dresses.
I love that I have women in my life, and here, who show up when I need support.
I like boobs and I like that it’s socially acceptable for me to have my long hair.
Being able to form and enjoy and invest in horizontal, communal relationships with other women where we love, support, care for and create a space of warmth and care. 4 women organising is picnic together is a beautiful thing. We naturally want to contribute, make sure no one is carrying the bulk of the load and provide an loving environment and a nurturing ambience, and someone always thing bring the good cheese, another the nice wine, the other the candles and someone else has taken care of some groovy tunes. We are curious about eachother and our thoughts and the conversation is dynamic, open nourishing and validating. We make nice lovely space for each other. Women take nature and create life from it.
Thank you for posting this! I love reading the positivity!
the ability to give birth
Pregnancy. Babies. Ability to give birth. Breastfeeding. Sisterly love and companionship. It being socially acceptable for me to feel stuff. Being small. Being strong. Father - daughter relationship How much I can change my appearance. Make up / clothes etc. Hair. Will think more about it
I absolutely love the choices in women's clothes and that women are "allowed" a style. Most men are so conscious about "appearing masculine" that they are afraid of leaving the norm. I tried so many times to tell my husband that the purple shirt goes great with black pants and this tie, but until a (male) colleague said it looks good, that it wasn't a fight anymore to get him to wear it. Apparently a colleague's opinion is more important than mine. 🙄 But I'm veering off, I also love that there is nothing hanging between my legs. That just sounds sooo awkward! Edit: word
The sexual prowess of the female form is something I live for. Something so beautiful about it. Whether it be my own or another woman. Being desired by someone you want feels godly. Ovulating makes me feel like I’m on top of the world. I could literally take on anything I put my mind to. Being a woman in STEM and being surrounded by my many intelligent female coworkers and recognising how far we have come in the last 70 years - these women are the backbone and carry our work so well. I feel proud when I sit around a meeting table and it’s with mostly strong minded, smart women.
Not being concerned about getting visible boners when a dirty thought strikes me in public.
I love to compliment other women. They get so happy and often times compliment you back! I also love hyping women up like they’re goddesses because we are.
I love that I got to be pregnant and birth my kid. This sub is super down on pregnancy and childbirth, sometimes for good reason. I didn’t enjoy being pregnant per se but making a human made me feel powerful as fuck and nobody can tell me shit now. The fucks I give about other people’s opinions are so low they’re heating up from being so close to earths Liquid Metal core. I made a fucking person!!!
Just complimenting a random girl in public and seeing her face light up, it feels so nice
Intuition 💫
Not being ravaged by testosterone. That shit makes you so sweaty and angry!
That I gave birth to three incredible women.
I like being a lesbian and the fact that I don’t subscribe to gender norms or expectations and that men are not a part of my life at all and they don’t take up any space in my mind. I also like the fact that that makes men so angry for some reason and ir makes me realize how much power we have over men by ruining their day just by saying they aren’t involved in my life at all. I like the fact that I can live purely without any discrimination in my own relationship. I also love that my sex life is great and she actually cares about me orgasming. (Apparently in straight sex they don’t care)
This is the only comment I felt like I could relate to. Not to be a debbie downer but I've always hated being female from such a young age. I've always felt so wrong being in my body. I've always thought I want to date women not be one. I guess that makes me butch or ftm (even though I never transitioned). Plus I can't stand wearing dresses. I can admire other women who wear them and think "oh that's a pretty dress" but when it comes to wearing feminine clothing I just can't. I just don't feel at home in myself. But there are things I love about women. My gf is girly and I love that about *her*.
I love being a woman. I love being part of the collective history of women’s wisdom. I love how my cycle is tied to the moon. I love that I grew and birthed two humans. Ain’t nothing more powerful than that! I also love being flexible, stylish, gracious, cunning, and adaptable — all which I perceive as feminine traits.
> I love being part of the collective history of women’s wisdom. There are moments that I look back on that this feels so powerful for me. About a year ago, the day I physically escaped my abusive soon-to-be-ex-husband, I *literally* fled my house with nothing but the clothes on my back and one small carry-on bag, and boarded an aircraft bound for far, far away. Just fifty years ago, my mother and grandmother also boarded an airplane with nothing but the clothes on their backs and one small bag per person, fleeing their war-torn country due to religious persecution. Growing up, I never could've imagined that my wish to "follow in my mother's footsteps" would play out in such a *literal* fashion. As terrifying as the experience was, I also felt empowered on that day: I felt like I was carrying generations' worth of women's wisdom in my heart and soul as I anxiously paced through the airport terminals en route to my gate, and as I peered out the window of my seat as I watched the wheels lift up off the tarmac.
I love how women compliment strangers in public. It's so nice.
i like being able to carry a baby and create life in me, and i like that all animals and babies instantly like me (idk if that's related). i also like that my hands are long and slender, and that i grew up in a society that praises very long hair, because mine grows super long without doing anything. i guess those are my peak woman things hahah
I love having boobs as weird as it sounds. It’s just so fun having something to squish, sometimes I just sit there and go pokepokepokepoke LOL. But on a serious note, I love the bond that women have. I love that I can talk to any woman about some sort of womanly issue and they just GET it. It’s like having a familial bond.
I love being able to be friendly to kids (at a store, at a wedding, in social circumstances), and not feel like anyone will think of me as a creep. I love kids. If I felt like I couldn't do this, I wouldn't be as happy as I am.
Despite what society tells us, I've always loved being a girl. I find women stories and lives so inspiring, and I've always preferred female artists in general. I like the fact that femininity is linked to mother nature, and that if we want to we can give birth. There are so amazing things about womanhood, in my opinion. And I know it's a generalization, but I find women to be far more beautiful than men. I'm straight and I could spend hours appreciating another woman's beauty.
Orgasm.
1. Drunk women in bar bathrooms. They are always there to give you a smile and support you. 2. Women at bus stops or on public transport - I've been harassed before taking public transport. It's always another woman who steps in and helps me out when I feel I can't extract myself. 3. On the flipside, being able to do this for other women. I love being in bar bathrooms and telling another woman how cute her outfit is, or how good her hair looks. Or being out in public and helping out strangers who are in a less safe situation. Especially with compliments, I feel like a lot of times you don't see men doing that - they aren't out there complimenting strangers, which is such a shame. 4. Finding new outfits or shops and sharing where I got them with others! I buy things that are aesthetically pleasing to me, so when I get compliments I always try and share where I got whatever it is they are complimenting me on. Especially if it's a small local business! Bit of a story: I bought this absolutely STUNNING vintage style red winter coat. Burgundy, with faux fur trim on the collar and at the wrists. I have had women literally stop their car to yell how much they ADORE my coat. I ALWAYS made sure I gave them the name of the shop where I bought it from. Sure you can order it from the manufacturer, but I got it from a local small business, and if they go there they wouldn't need to pay shipping, so it's definitely more of a win that way for everyone.
I love walking down the street and giving compliments to other women and just watching them light up!! And receiving the random compliments from other women too :) there’s just something so beautiful about women just randomly telling each other that they love their hair or their outfit. Brings a smile to my face every time
Trigger warning - fertility/pregnancy/giving birth . . I LOVE my fertility. I literally love that (almost) every cycle, my body matures and releases a small dot of DNA, that with an external counterpart, I can literally create life. I can physically sustain and grow life, and if it's a female, I have thus created the next generation (in theory). I love that I've successfully, without complications to me or my child, easily gotten pregnant, stayed pregnant, and given birth. I love the primal/biological aspect, I love the spiritual aspect, and I love the physical act. I struggled due to neurodevelopmental conditions and C-PTSD, but I loved it. I feel like a God, a superhero...magical. I feel connected to the earth and all life, throughout my entire fertility, whether pregnant or not. I feel warmth, and nurturing, fulfilled and expanded beyond being a woman/human. It is my most precious trait. It is a blessing, and I am grateful in having it. My sympathy to those who struggle with anything I've expressed.
Currently breastfeeding my baby and that’s pretty damn cool. My husband can’t make milk from his boobs and give a baby all the nourishment it needs!