The Power of a Feminine Woman

I think that sometimes women, wives in particular; are oblivious to how much power that they have. A gentle smile can be comforting to a husband who has been at work all day, while a bitter remark may make him retreat into his cave, causing him to "walk on eggshells."

A woman who lashes out at her husband in a moment of stress and verbally tears him down risks emasculating him, while a woman who retreats into silence causes him to mull over all of his actions, wondering if he did something wrong- when he did it, and how he's going to make up for it.

Where then, is the balance? Why do women do these things? I think that part of the reason is because they have lost sight of their femininity, and that they don't understand how to be vulnerable anymore. In today's feminist society, vulnerability is equated with weakness, when in reality, vulnerability can be a woman's greatest strength. Not only does she fully live out her womanhood in the way God intended when she is vulnerable, but she enables her husband to embrace his masculinity, and causes him to want to become a better man, husband and father.

A feminine woman invites. She does not nag or order her husband to do something. In her softness and her sweetness she draws him to do what is good. Above all, she gives him respect.

Of course, Our Lady is the true model of femininity, and within her dwell all the virtues that we should strive to cultivate.

These are just a few of the many things I've been thinking about lately, in no particular order. What do you think are the attributes of a truly feminine woman?