How to Spell H.E.R.: Understanding Women from a Different Perspective

Para sa mga kalalakihan:

Di na bago sa akin to see memes exposing the “nature” daw of ladies to be weird, may “kakaibang high” at di maintindihan. Seriously, medyo mahirap nga silang basahin. Women are too complicated to comprehend unless you really get to know them. At sigurado akong marami ang sumasang-ayon sa akin sa bagay na ito, lalo na ang mga kalalakihan.

Kasama na rin sa package nila ang pagiging magagalitin. Their mood swings too swiftly na kung mabagal-bagal ka, mapapaisip ka na lang kung saang banda ka nga ba nagkamali. Sa una kausap mo sila, nagtatawanan pa kayo. After a few minutes, bigla na lang tataas ang boses, o di kaya ay tatahimik; iiyak o magwo-walk out. Tapos syempre ikaw, babalikan mo ang mga nasabi o nagawa mo sa huling 48 hours at susubukan mong ikumpisal muli ang mga nagawa mong kasalanan noong nakalipas na dalawang buwan kahit naikumpisal mo na ito noon sa kanya. Pero pagkatapos rin naman na mai-release niya ang kanyang sudden surge of emotion, lalambingin ka naman niyang muli. Ang saya di ba?

Pero once na mataon na ginalit mo ang isang babae sa kanyang special na araw, asahan mo na mas matindi ang haharapin mong laban. Ito kasi ang mga panahon na nagiging unpredictable sila lalo, nagiging mas mabagsik at mas nakakakilabot. Kaya kapag red alert ang status, tayong mga lalaki ay dapat mas mapagmatyag at matalino. Never lower your guard, ika nga.

Syempre lahat ng ito ay exaggeration lang. Wag naman kayong magagalit sa akin. Haha! Kung sakaling may pagkakapareho, baka nagkataon lang. #Defensive. Haha.

Based on how a woman reacts to her environment, I believe that a man can never understand what goes inside the heart and mind of a woman. God has so created women with so intricate details na lubhang nakakamangha. Parang isang body of water. May mainit, may malamig. May tahimik, may walang patid sa pag-agos. Ang pagtantya natin sa tubig ay kung paano natin ito nakita o naramdaman. We use our senses to get to know them, and we claim to know a lot of things about women based solely on our perception about them. Mataray, masungit, maarte, mahinhin, madaldal, may kilay na mapagmataas at laging namimintas...

I am no expert when it comes to women’s personality. Syempre naman, sino ba? Haha! However, kung gusto talaga natin silang kilalanin, hindi sapat na titignan lang natin sila based on their outward appearance and weirdness. More than being the “weaker gender”, as many of the guys consider their female counterparts, we need to elevate our vantage point. 

There is more to a woman than her beauty, figure and mood swings. <Tweet This!>

There is more to a woman than her quirkiness and the flick of her eyebrows. <Tweet This!>

To know her well, we need to go back to where she was first seen in the scene.

Love at First Sight

We all know the story. Adam the Man was created by the Lord and given some work to do, along with all the things he need in life. But no suitable helper can be found para sa kanya. While all the animals have their own partner, si Adam ay nag-iisa. Yung isa, long-legged nga pero giraffe. Yung isa, loyal nga at malambing kaso aso. Yung isa naman masyadong mabalbon, unggoy kasi, at di sila talo. The Lord thus caused Adam to a deep sleep, and during such time kumuha si Lord ng rib ni Adam, formed and gave life to Eve, the first woman. Then nagising si Adam. I can just imagine how Adam reacted! Parang love at first sight!

Women as Man's Help-meet

Like Adam, Eve is no ordinary creature. Hindi siya kagaya ng mga hayop na pinapangalanan ni Adam. Sabi nga, --"She was not made out of his head to surpass him, nor from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side to be equal to him, and near his heart to be dear to him."

The woman was created as help-meet of man. Hindi utusan, hindi alila. Help-meet. Katuwang. Kaya’t ano pa man ang ugali ng mga babae, kahit gaano pa man sila ka-weirdo sa ating mga paningin, think of them not as someone to be trampled upon and bossed over. Sila ay ating mga katuwang. In the context of marriage, this must be in full effect. In the context of being single, our sisters in Christ are our partners. Katuwang sa anumang gawain.

Women as Man's Equal

Hindi lang sila basta katuwang, sila mismo ay kabahagi natin. Guys, they are a part of us. Adam said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Imagine, women were taken from our ribs. So literally, they are part of us. This brings marriage into a higher ground: dahil ang pagiging isa ng mag-asawa ay may pinatunayan na mula pa lang na ang tao ay nilikha ng Diyos.

If you are like me, parang hindi ko ma-take na ang isang babae ay umiiyak. Nasubukan niyo na bang makita na umiiyak ang nanay, lola o ang ate niyo o nakababatang kapatid na babae? Di ba masakit? Bilang mga kuya o lalaki sa pamilya, we serve as their protectors and confidants. Kung pwede nga lang ayaw natin silang madapuan ng lamok. And it hurts us whenever we see them hurting. It’s because we are one with them, figuratively and spiritually. Ang mga babae, kahit gaano pa man natin sila hindi maintindihan, ay kaisa natin at kapantay – and on a larger scale a part of the Body of Christ.

Women as Man's Rescue

Wala akong maisip na subtitle e, hayaan niyo na. Haha! Pero sabagay, if men can’t deliver, who comes to the rescue? Sila rin naman ang ginagamit ni Lord, kaya ayos na yan!

Hindi lang natin basta kabahagi ang mga babae kundi they play a significant part sa ating existence! Kung ang mga ribs natin ay pumuprotekta sa ilan sa mga vital internal organs natin such as our lungs and the heart, likewise, the women also secures us so many things in life:

• They offer us companionship. Imagine a world without women. Ayoko yata na puro taong may bigote ang nakikita ko araw-araw.
• They offer us beauty. Ang beauty ng mundo at ng nature ay madalas naikukumpara sa babae. Certified eye candy.
• They offer us challenge. Sa kanila ipinadadaan ng Lord ang ilan sa mga major challenges ng ating calling bilang mga lalaki. I will expound on this some other time :)
• They offer us continuity of life. Kahit gaano pa man tayo kagaling sa ating kanya-kanyang larangan, still we need women to create a family with.
• They complete us in Christ. God has so loved us that He wants even likened man-woman marriage to His relationship with His Bride, the Church. What a wonderful privilege.

Actually sobrang dami pa.

Indeed, sobrang hirap intindihin ng mga babae from the outside. But dig deeper into God’s blueprint para sa kanila. You will never fail to see how wonderful God’s imprint on them is. Napakaganda, napaka-glamorous. Kaya naman I will do everything, with God’s help, whatever it takes, to pursue a woman kahit pa suungin ko ang araw-araw na mood swings at buwan-buwang red-flag days. Ikaw, ready ka bang dumuyan sa mga mood swings nila?