Welcome To Womanhood: Liz Byamugisha

Wednesday 23 March 2016

Liz Byamugisha




I can’t quite remember the exact moment when I realized I was a woman, not a girl.

Being the curious child that I was, I always wondered what kind of woman I’d grow up to be. There were many expectations.  “Sit properly! Ladies sit with their legs together and back straight.” “You can’t eat that. Women are not supposed to” “You need to learn how to cook. Every woman should know how to cook.” 

But when did I realize I was no longer a girl, but now a woman?

Was it when I had my first periods? I had all my aunties around me saying I was not a girl anymore. I had become a woman. Also I finally found out what the thingys in the pink Always kavera were used for. Womanhood, ay? 

Or maybe it was after my first heartbreak. “The first cut is the deepest” is a tired line. That first break up is always tough. On one hand, you feel you can never love again & on the other hand, you have to act like nothing’s wrong. You have to be strong. That’s what being a woman is, right? 

No, I think it was when I graduated from University. I mean, it’s the 21st century. Every respectable female adult should have at least one degree. I qualify to be a woman, right?

I actually think the day I became a woman was the day I got married to the love of my life. Such a happy day!  “When you become someone’s wife” was the first thing my mother said to me every time I came home to visit. Lucky for me, I got married at the ‘right’ age, to a man from a wealthy family. Phew!
Nothing says womanhood like giving life. So the day I became a woman was definitely the day I gave birth to my first born son. Greatest day for every woman, so they say.

Women are not made in a single moment! It takes time to build a beautiful & intelligent woman of virtue, some more than others. Truth is, you will find 30 year old girls & 19 year old women. 

“The power of a woman comes not from the strength of her body or the shrewdness of her resolve, but in the beauty of her mind, heart, and her soul. A simple look can brighten the darkest hour. Her touch can warm the coldest of days. Her smile can intoxicate you. Her words can give you wealth that the richest man would covet.” – Troy White



Liz is a digital marketer & content wizard. Passionate about sleep, lipstick, art, coffee & all things to do with African Literature.

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