When I was growing up I hated being a girl. I was living in a country where women were not even allowed to drive. I felt restricted. My brothers would go out to play but I was told to stay at home. My brothers were allowed to hang out at their friends place but I was told to ask my friends to come over rather than going to their place.
However with time, my perception of being a girl changed.
When I reached my late teen years, my brothers and I would go out to eat a lot. Once I was out with my brothers at a sandwich (paratha roll) stall. This was in Pakistan, we were waiting in our car for our orders. There was a take away restaurant where you would order and the food would be delivered to you in the car and you would eat in the car. After our order, a sports car blaring with loud music parked beside us. The dark tinted car window rolled down and in the smoky interior, I could see rowdy and shady teenage boys.
My brother muttered as he started the engine, "I am parking somewhere else."
"Why, what's the matter?" I scowled.
"They are not the right kind of boys and you are with me. I don't want to take any chances."
At that moment, I felt protected.
Years later, on my wedding day, I was very emotional. It was the most memorable day of my life. I was happy and ecstatic to start this new phase of my life but I was melancholic to leave my family and especially my parents.
When it was time to leave my father had placed my hand in my husband's and said with tear glistened eyes,
"Meine isse phool ki tarha paala hai" (I have raised her tenderly as a flower).
At that moment, I felt cherished.
With time, I learned to become the wife my husband wanted. When my mother had visited me she noticed,
"Your husband can't stay even a moment away from you. He keeps asking you for this and that."
And then in just a few minutes he called me asking yet again for something.
At that moment, I felt needed.
When my daughter was nearly two years old I started making her sleep with her brother in the children's room. In the middle of the night, my daughter crawled into my bed and curled into me clutching my shirt as a reassurance that her Mom was beside her.
At that moment, I felt loved.
In the last three decades of my life, after living through various stages a woman goes through I can easily say.
I am blessed to be a woman.
Alhumdulilah – All Praise is for Allah.
