The one thing I have always known to be true is that I am a girl. I was born a girl and I can’t imagine not being one. Throughout my girlhood and now into my early 20s, I have learned to appreciate being a girl from a whole new perspective.
One of the things I have come to love most about being a girl is the idea of femininity. Expressing your inner “girly girl” is such a special feeling, especially with how it was looked down upon in the past. From a very young age, being girly was seen as negative. I was constantly surrounded by media that gave “girliness” a bad rep. Films and TV shows would always glorify the edgy, cool character who had a bit of wit and was “not like other girls.” Think of Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You or Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as examples of this. In contrast to this, the hyper-feminine character was always villainized or looked down upon. These “girly” characters were characterized by two stereotypes: the mean girl and the bimbo. The mean girls were the Sharpay Evanses and Regina Georges, whereas the ditzy girls were the London Tiptons and Karen Smiths.
Growing up, we never got to really see a healthy portrayal of a hyper-feminine character that wasn’t skewed towards either of these tropes. This has allowed me to appreciate femininity so much more as a young woman.
One of the practices I take pride in is getting ready. Allocating a portion of my day to pick out an outfit and do my hair and makeup is one of life’s simple pleasures. Female characters in the media that cared about their physical appearance were always considered vain and shallow for simply wanting to look nice. It’s like, can we have anything? Merely wanting to look put together for ourselves always had a secondary motive when it came to movies or TV. Now, when I get ready, I take my time to truly enjoy the time I have to myself. I take pleasure in using my unnecessary, trendy products like my gua-sha and ice roller which probably don’t even make a difference.
As a girl, I love treating myself. If I’m having a bad day, or just need a little pick-me-up, I will take the time to do something special for myself. I’ll treat myself to a manicure or a simple iced coffee to improve my mood. Although there may not be anything inherently girly or feminine in this practice, it is something that permits me to be more in tune with my emotions.
Another one of the things I love about being a girl is female friendships. The strong bond between two girls is truly unparalleled. Women coming together to support each other, to stand up for one another instead of tearing each other down is powerful and unlike any other dynamic. I love being able to spend time with my girlfriends and develop true closeness and trust.
Girls get made fun of for every little thing they do, especially when they do it together. This shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. Whether it’s going to the bathroom in a large group, wearing pink or even just gossiping about the latest news, young girls and women should have the freedom to do whatever they please without the fear of being criticized. Spending my time doing stereotypically “girly” things that I enjoy has allowed me to enjoy the complexities of girlhood and embrace the beginnings of womanhood.
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