Over the weekend my family and I watched a movie which took place in the early 1960s. What really hit home for me in the movie was how feminine all the women were dressed. It wasn’t an exaggerated effect but the dress of the day shown back in those times was much more feminine than present day. Once it caught my eye, I paid attention to it through out the whole movie and it is amazing to me how different women are in today’s society.

With so much gender confusion going on in the world, it’s no wonder women are wearing more masculine clothing. I believe it has become out of style to be feminine. For women, this is one of their greatest assets and it is mostly ignored. I’m not talking about waist size or perfect facial features; I’m talking about a state of mind. How we present ourselves to others. How women’s femininity is a positive characteristic instead of a negative one.

As with Sarah Palin: she has a certain amount of femininity which shines through when she speaks which is difficult not to notice. I feel that the reason so many women connect with her is because she is such a wonderful example of what a woman really is and is not afraid to exemplify this.

The media has a great influence over how women are portrayed in society and I believe that women have lost that great trait in themselves. Calling someone feminine (or a “girly girl”) is almost a derogatory term. I have been reading a lot of what other women have to say of our society and femininity and there are some interesting questions that have arisen. What does it mean to be feminine and how are we going to pass on the blessings of this trait to our children?

What it means to be feminine is what women wear, their curves and make-up. It’s the roles we play from daughter to sister to aunt to wife to mother and grandmother in nurturing and being of service to others. We can pass on this ideal and example on to our daughters.

National author and lecturer, Jonalyn Fincher says “If femininity is a unique badge of honor from our God, we don’t need to remain ignorant or afraid of what femininity might mean for us.”

We were called a “very good thing” from the beginning of our creation and as women; we should never forget our inner ideal of who we are and use our best traits to do our best in society. So in women, we shouldn’t be afraid to bring out what is deep within us: our God given gift of femininity.

Loxley resident Valerie J. Steimle is the author of two books, “Home Is Where The Heart Is, A look at strengthening the American Family,” and her latest book, “Home Is Where The Learning Is” (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1403379637). Contact her at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com or visit her website at www.stengthenyourhome.com.