”A woman’s guess is much more accurate than a man’s certainty”. Rudyard Kipling opined. Well, this gentleman knew about the deadliest of the female species in the animal kingdom as well. It is glorious to be a woman. To know that you are in fact, braver, stronger, tougher, more resilient, to be conscious and sure of your huge reserves of boundless love, of your innate wisdom, of your single-minded protective instinct for your progeny. It is empowering to know that the well-endowed and proverbial, ”dumb blonde”, has the capacity to twirl tycoons around their little fingers.
Joseph Conrad writes ”Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men”. Ironically, one can pretend to be more stupid than one is and folks are not surprised. On the other hand, Gloria Steinem is so right. So many of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry. I feel happy to know so many good humans who are women. Selfless, warm, astute, passionate in their fields of work. Devoted, caring, home makers. It is for these unsung heroines that my head bows in “hazaaron sajde and salaams”. The ones whose husbands say apologetically and shame facedly ‘O my wife is ‘only’ a housewife’. Ah, the disdain for the lady who cooks, serves, provides is surely a recent phenomenon.
The lady of the house was revered and respected, once upon a time, sounds funny, doesn’t it? I do think we are regressing in some ways. Happy women’s day ladies and keep on being the tea bags that you are. Know your strengths in the boiling hot water of the teacup that could be your life. Rejoice in the fact that all the money in the world would have no meaning if there were no women. ”So kyon manda aakhiye jit jamme raajaan?” Aurat teri yehi kahaani, aanchal mein hai doodhh, aankhon mein paani.”
Lily Swarn is an internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, and essayist, author of 10 books. She is the 2023-24 International Beat Poet Laureate India and a Peace and Humanity ambassador. She can be reached at sukhish83@gmail.com
