Women are Amazing!

Before I begin. A short disclaimer …

Although improving, my adherence to the political correctness of the modern age is sometimes lacking. So if anyone gets offended (which seems a popular trait these days) please feel free to call me out. Thank you!

All my life I have loved and adored women. I love how they speak, how they move, how they look, how they walk, how they kiss, how they gossip, and how they are terrible at keeping secrets.

Everyone ok so far? (first complaint already!)

But me being a man, I’ve always thought my biological sex (careful now) has by far given me the better deal in life, and this is why …

1. Men don’t have to menstruate.

At an age when young women are dealing with the confusing aspects of social assimilation, education and puberty. They are then spontaneously gifted with a gushing of blood, terrible mood swings, and extreme stomach pains requiring an endless supply of hot water bottles. I couldn’t do it, and I wouldn’t want it!

2. Men do not have to worry about getting pregnant.

While men have responsibilities when it comes to contraception, we don’t have to carry babies inside us for 9 whole months. We do not have to stop drinking wine or eating pâté. We do not have to deal with strange cravings to eat toothpaste (well, that’s what my wife did anyway!) and last but not least, we do not have to push a football sized head out of a beautifully shaped Venus flytrap (Apologies, I’ve been reading Tennessee Williams again!)

3. Men do not suffer the societal guilt of female parental expectations.

I had to think about that line and I’m not sure it’s great. But what I mean is the inherent societal expectation placed upon women to be maternal no matter what. Whether a woman is ambitious, a stay at home mum, or even both. There always seems to be an underlying pressure to perform their role perfectly; because they are a woman and that’s what women are supposed to do. Men don’t have this guilt. They just go out fishing and play football and stuff (Sorry modern guys. I don’t mean you obviously!)

4. Men do not end up with bodies ravaged by the the trauma of childbirth in later life. (This one is personal and straight from the heart, so no jokes I’m afraid)

My wife has given birth to our three incredible children and I love her every day for it. But the fact is, the traumatic toll of childbirth has quite literally destroyed her health. After our first child, she had serious post-natal depression. But despite my concerns it might happen again, she selflessly consented to having another.

Then after the birth of our third child, her life changed dramatically …

A few months after the birth my wife began bleeding. We then found out she had an auto immune disease. To cut a long story short (and it is a very long and harrowing story), my wife has now lost three quarters of her bowel, womb and requires a colostomy bag. She also has osteoporosis which means she breaks bones easily and is unable to work (She used to be a police officer, and a bloody good one too!)

It breaks my heart to see her this way. She is only 45 and we both know life will never be the same. But her lived experience seems a poignant moment to get back to the very crux of my essay …

My wife is the reason I think all women are amazing!

Women give themselves to the world like no man can. They give birth to our children without hesitation, yet face a lifetime of societal guilt and maternal expectations. They do all this selflessly while being police officers, writers, scientists, astronauts and royal queens (hopefully, presidents of the United States one day too!)

It is my belief that women keep the world turning through a strength and sacrifice that no man can truly equal. And while I believe men are pretty amazing too (we are definitely better at keeping secrets!) I think we must recognise women for what they truly are …

Amazing!

Thanks for reading

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Originally published at https://medium.com/never-stop-writing/women-are-amazing-891f6e64d231