A woman

I somewhat reluctantly joined Women's Small Groups tonight after a somewhat spur-of-the-moment decision pushed somewhat by my husband... And I'm actually really glad I went. I'm a little too tired to write a bunch about my thoughts, especially since I haven't over-analyzed them yet, but I have a topic in mind and I wanted to get it started before I lost track of.. the track I'm on.

Question of the week:

Where is that line you cross from being a 'girl' to being a 'woman'? And no I'm not talking about hormones. I mean, when I think 'girl' I think my age and younger. But when do I get to join that illusive 'woman' league and start linking myself to the mothers, sisters, mentors, and leaders that I so long to be a part of? Is it an age? Is it a state of mind? Is it after I look the part? Is it when I'm a mother, myself?

What makes a woman... a woman?

After seriously contemplating an answer for my own question for over two weeks now, I've decided that there isn't one. You become a woman long before you realize it. Here's the catch though. You can't really decide it for yourself. Or anyone else for that matter, it just happens. Kind of a lame conclusion, I know. But it's the best I've got. Plus, this is such a wide topic and I could go on for hours discussing all the little details that either make you a woman or make you not a woman.. But that would just be my opinion. So officially, I say it remains illusive. No one knows when it will happen for them. One day, it will just switch. And you won't realize it till years later.

I can tell you this though... It hasn't happened for me yet. I still feel like a little girl. There are lots of areas I need to mature in. Lots of areas that need serious work. Not that I'll ever stop needing work, there's always room to grow. But I'm not yet at the place I want to be when I finally look at myself as a 'woman'.