LAST DAY NG WOMEN’S MONTH

As a girlie pop in this not-so-popping world

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March 31– Huling araw na ng mga inspiring posts tungkol sa kababaihan. Tapos na rin ang bigayan ng promos, 10% discounts, & freebies. Tapos na rin ang mga ganaps na magpapaalala sa’yo na ang saya maging babae, na thankful sila sa strength, diskarte, courage, sipag, at tiyaga mo etc. etc. LAST DAY NA NGAYONG MARCH 31.

Pero ang mga haharaping gawain, labada, deadlines, backlogs, hugasin na pinggan, diaper na papalitan, body shaming, PR na ibe-beat, menu na iisipin, gatas na titimplahin, ulam na lulutuin, mga papatulang chismis at catcaller, madilim na kalsadang iiwasan– tuloy pa rin.

May nadaanan akong pangungusap, “Women are born with pain built in.” Sabay-sabay nating sabihing, “TRUE the fire! Totoo! Yes, tama!”

Dahil biruin mo ‘yon, kapapanganak mo palang, pero may pangamba nang magiging marahas ang mundo sa’yo. May add-ons agad: monthly period, hormonal imbalance, double standards, etc. Mahaba ang listahan. Kaya naman maiksi ang buong buwan ng Marso para alalahanin at “i-celebrate” ang mga kababaihan. Dapat all year-round! 24/7 gaya ng mga roles and responsibilities namin na walang break, walang off. 

I’ve been pondering what I should write on this blog all month. Gusto natin ng something empowering, inspiring, and celebratory of women—may mga terms like ‘girl boss,’ ‘girl CEO,’ ‘women in business,’ and ‘the strong, independent woman.’ But I woke up and I chose violence (evil laugh). I prefer to acknowledge the pain and struggles of being a woman. The messy, the crazy, ‘yung hindi cute, hindi aesthetic life as a girlie pop in this not-so-popping world.

I asked the female employees of Happy Hive what they would tell their younger selves, and I’m sharing their answers here (with consent!):

As much as celebrating us this month means self-care promos, discounts, appreciating our strength, and independence, and cheering us on to work hard and keep up the hustle and grind, it is so much more than that. 

TBH, after reading their answers, there was this pang in my heart—a little bit of pain and a little more rage. Their answers are rooted in disappointments, pain, exhaustion, selflessness, expectations, struggles, regrets, double standards, unfair treatment, injustice, and rage—the female rage.

If you were born with pain built in, wouldn’t you be angry too? Let us own our rage. Let us have it. Let us be angry. Crazy. Mental. Picky. Just… let us be. 

It’s never for anyone to tell us what to do with that rage, how to handle it, how to process it, to take it gently, to be kind. No. This rage is ours. IT IS OURS.

And from this burden called rage, may we become the women we want to be. May it be the fuel that gives us the courage to push through, change, act, and find liberation. May this burden be the guiding light that leads us to meet our future selves. May we meet and welcome “her” with gentleness and kindness. May we never be embarrassed and scared to meet her for not doing well. May we never lose hope that we will meet her. And when we do, may we bring her the good news that there is a world where she doesn’t need to be strong and independent…that she could just be. Just a girl.

Tell her that it gets better. It’s a long shot, but it does. Maybe it does. Maybe. Diba?

What would you tell your future self?