Muted She can’t let out a sound Suppressed Her voice can’t be heard Victimised She cries to be freed
Her cries get louder They turn to a roar She roars They get shocked She has a voice, let her roar!
She is every woman A mother for her children A wife to her husband An executive in the boardroom A slut in her sanctified bedroom A colleague in the workplace A friend to embrace An aunt to confide in A sister to cherish
Never underestimate her power She can bring forth fruit Nurture and nourish it She is gifted in multiplication All she touches gets plenty She has a voice, let her roar! That’s the only way to see her capacity
This piece was first published in the She Roars Newsletter Volume 1 2019
Hello August, I have been waiting for you. Your windiness reminds me that, there is always a time to shed off all that is dead and unwanted from your system. It mighty be a little dusty but the bigger picture is all we gotta focus on; shedding off 😊.
May August offer you the best in all your endeavours…
As we celebrate women’s month in South Africa, I want every woman to remember that they are important. We been labeled as the weaker vessels even in the Bible but we all know how strong we are. We can stand terrible period cramps, endure excruciating labour pains, and raise a whole human being. The most exciting part of a woman, is the ability to multiply all she touches. Amazing, right?
Women can embrace every situation…
Each time you wanna doubt yourself, remember that a world without women would be dead. So, it’s high time, ladies please, we value and embrace who we are. Have the ability to stand for what you believe in, go for your dreams and never let anyone suppress you.
Yes, Sisi, you can!
Watch out for red flags wherever you are. It’s time not to settle for anything less. I feel nudged to talk about a lot of things that affects my gender, but today I will end here. Your take home is if you are a woman reading this, you are blessed beyond measure, tap into your greatness and enjoy the wonderful gift of life. And if you are a man reading this, take this month to appreciate every woman in your life, shower them with so much love and make it a daily habit even after this month.
Know your position and stick to what you deserve…
Ooops before, I leave, ladies in and around South Africa, let’s all meet this monthend to celebrate this exciting women’s month. Check out the flyer below, register by clicking on this Google form 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 https://forms.gle/i5SpaJTwRaYxV6do9
As we celebrate this women’s month, I have been pondering on what it takes to be a woman specifically, a black African woman. I am proud to be who I am, and I have worked so hard to embrace my imperfections. This morning as I was dressing up for work, I took some time to stare at myself on my full-length mirror. There is a lot that I marvelled at on the way I look. My imperfect yellow teeth, thick lips, dark skin, and plumpness.
Be whole!
As I grinned at the thoughts that raced in my mind, I strolled in the memory lane. I remembered when I was in primary school and Samm, my friend would always make uncomfy comments about my teeth. She had the perfect white teeth, and I can’t deny she looked way prettier than me. One comment that is still vivid in my mind was, “Tabi, I wonder why your mouth doesn’t stink yet you have yellow teeth.” Perhaps it was meant to be a compliment but that got me conscious on how yellow my teeth were and how much it was associated to stinking mouth. On a good note at least, I didn’t have a bad breath.
Simply that!
Instead of letting this strip me off my confidence, I took some time to study my teeth. Of course, I once longed they were as white as Samm’s, but I wasn’t her and was never going to be her. I realised that its normal to have yellow teeth and in as much as my teeth are not perfectly aligned but they give me a perfect smile. A lot of people have complimented how much I have a grand smile. This has helped me understand that my thick lips are beautiful too. I once hated them when a girl named Bee in high school once nick named me Maromo (Big lips). Later, I realised some people go for surgery to get their lips thickened.
I smile cos am black and beautiful!
Looking at my overall physical appearance, I got chubby in my teens and felt so much unattractive. I had to vow that I would not date in high school because I felt no guy would ever want a chubby girlfriend. When I was 14, Pson the first guy who asked me out, made me realise I wasn’t bad after all. I remember him saying, “You are so chubby and cute that’s why I love you.” This compliment got me understanding that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and no one is ugly. We all are beautiful in our own ways.
Don’t be scared to believe in you and say it!
Growing up I have also observed that the lighter skinned women attract a lot of attention. This has made a lot of my sisters bleach their skin. I for one has been proud of my melanin skin but have an older sister whom I look alike to, but she is lighter. At times she says, “I wonder why people say we look alike yet I am light, and you are dark.” I used to feel like she is boasting about her lightness until I discovered that black is beauty. I love how flawless my dark skin is and would never trade it for anything.
Melanin dripping 😊
So, to every woman out there, you are beautiful the way you are, keep that in mind. Each day when you wake up take some time to marvel at your looks. When you put on make-up, do it to enhance your looks not to hide your ill feelings on how you look. Work out to have a perfect body for you not anyone else if you feel the need to. Whatever that you do on your body, is your choice and it doesn’t have to be pushed by all the negative comments that come your way. You are amazing, just the way you are!
Tales Of Tabitha 