I have so many thoughts and ideas, and it is hard for me to remember that I have this Blog, and I should write about it all here! At least then it won't be floating around in my head anymore.

A few weeks ago my daughter and I went to a wedding shower. I don't care for showers, but I know how important they are to the bride/mother-to-be, so I go. And when it's over, I'm always glad I went. At this shower, they divided the guests into two groups, and played a game where each group had to decorate one lady with toilet paper, to make it look like a wedding gown. The results were quite creative, and downright entertaining!

Anyway, I was standing back and watching as my little girl joined in the festivities. She giggled with the other girls, and squealed with delight at the finished 'product'. I realized I was witnessing an important rite of initiation. This was her first experience with the unique sisterhood of women. This was, so-to-speak, a rite of passage. And she jumped right in with both feet.

I had to reflect on how important it is for her to celebrate her womanhood, even at the ripe old age of eight. In our culture, we have worked so hard to blur the boundaries between the sexes, that we too often miss the beauty and wonder of being exactly who God created us to be. I believe that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made, just as the Bible teaches, and that we should not be ashamed of who we are.

Woman are amazing creatures. We nurture life within us, and continue to nurture it long after birth. The feminist movement has robbed us of what makes us special. Women have fought for equality with men, believing that we must be like men to have that equality. But our power is different from men's power. Men have a strong, brute strength, and it is a gift, when used properly. Women are just as strong, but in an emotional sense. Ours is an inner power, and not to be underestimated. In our efforts to become equal to men, we have forfeited the wonderous God-given powers that make us uniquely femine, and in doing so, we have greatly diminished our beauty.

So I had to smile to myself as I watched my little daughter join in the dance with movements that are exclusively hers. She had a wonderful time, and for the first time, I really understood why showers are so important. It's not just the gift-giving. It's the bonding, the support, the fellowship. It is, upon closer examination, a celebration of womanhood, and the things that make us uniquely beautiful.