Femininity at work- former tomboy, kinda

Been thinking a lot about what it means to embrace femininity as a Catholic woman in a workplace that doesn't really value it. My industry is very male-dominated and the unspoken message is always that you have to be tough, aggressive, kind of masculine to be taken seriously. I used to buy into that completely. But lately I'm realizing that softness and strength aren't opposites, and there's something beautiful and actually powerful about showing up as yourself. I'm trying to stop apologizing for caring about how I look, or for being warm with colleagues, or for wanting grace in how I move through my day. It's a small act of resistance in a way, choosing to be feminine on purpose rather than just adopting whatever armor everyone else is wearing. Anyone else figuring this out?

7 comments

7 Comments

Want to reply?

@misericordiaApr 29

Beautiful! I'm figuring that out myself, too. In my workplace, you don't have to be that masculine necessarily, but you really have to be the kind of woman who speaks up loudly and is very confident. And I'm fine with parts of that, but also struggling a bit with how to unite that to virtues like humility, kindness etc. I feel like those aren't opposites necessarily, but it's hard to find a good balance.

@littlemariApr 30

Sameee! i m pretty hardcore at work but i dont really think it is making me masculine. We wear scrubs, very busy and physically and mentally demanding but honestly it is the Catholic virtues that kept me strong and surviving more than anything else!

@misericordiaApr 30

@littlemari yess, there really is strength in the Catholic virtues! But a different kind of strength that people don't see sometimes

@littlemariMay 1

@misericordia yess! Like St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross said:

“The world doesn't need what women have, it needs what women are"

🌸🌸🌸

@littlemariMay 1

How have you been on your journey? 🥹🙏🏼 i would like to become a trad wife but God is currently taking me to a different path. My mom got diagnosed with cancer so i ve been financing alot of her medical expenses so here i am.. embracing my career..

@misericordiaMay 1

So sorry to hear that, really. That must be so hard. It's good you can help her in that way and I'm sure God has many graces for you on this path, too - but it's so difficult to see that God's not leading you towards what you wanted. Maybe He will later. Either way, He will use even this suffering of your mom to bring you closer to Him somehow. Praying for you and your mom! 🙏

@iampaolafrancescaOct 29

Hi! I feel that the mental image of what femininity is in today's society is very distorted and rooted in vanity and lust as for this weak, vain, superficial damsel in distress, useless in moments of tremble kind of woman and I think we need to break that image purposefully! And it's hard because everything, like movies, advertising, influencers, public stars, etc is bombarding us to see those traits as femenine. I often think in the naturally femenine virtues God gave us women by contemplating Sancta María! I see her as a strong woman, with that comforting, safe, nurturing and detailed woman she must have been on earth, going through so much yet never transformed herself in a masculine version just to get by in the circumstances. This really helps me, this discovery of true femininity by contemplating her in silent prayer and meditation! I also think that this contemplating is far more effective if we also start living a more natural life as women= natural nails, hair and makeup