There seems to be a common stigma in many men and some women that being a girl, and dealing with all things feminine, is such a horrible thing. Being a girl for the last 19 years of my life however, I have found a couple things past periods and hormones that are pretty great about femininity.

1. Dresses

Though it may make me a girly girl to say so, there is nothing better than putting on a dress when you're going out to make you feel good. Whether it's strapless and fierce for a formal event, or covered in lace for a summertime brunch, wearing a dress never fails to make me feel confident in being a woman. It's so freeing yet so simple.

2. Makeup and Hair

Ever since I knew what makeup was and that hair belonged in place, I watched my mom and older sister paint their faces with beautiful colors. By the time I was old enough to wear makeup myself I was in love with all of the tricks you could do with just a simple brush. While I am not afraid to walk out the door right after I rolled out of bed, there is something about getting ready and making myself into whatever i want to be that I have always loved.

Your face is a canvas and your makeup a work of art. As for my hair, anyone who knows me knows I love all things hair. Women get the special allowance of having hundreds of ways to style, cut, color, and play- and if that's not something to celebrate I don't know what is.

3. Free Food and Drinks

Now this one may make me sound like a mooch, but a smart girl never denies something free. Whether it has been because of my gender or my general attitude, there have been countless occasions of someone offering to buy my drinks or my meals. Before you get feminist-empowered on me, many of these occasions have been when I was working and families saw I was stressed, or when I made friends with the local barista. Regardless of the occasion though, I don't think that one girl would be willing to tell you she doesn't love the attention of a free meal.

4. Maternal Instincts

For as long as I can remember, people have come running to me with the nickname "Mom". I seemed to always be the one taking care of people at parties and turning into the shoulder to cry on for my friends in need. Being called mom in my childhood was frustrating to me, but it actually became something I cherished when I grew up. It meant that people trusted me, people looked up to me, and people wanted me to be around. I love nothing more than taking care of the people I love, and being a woman allows for those instincts to be in full swing.

5. The Empowerment of Womanhood

Being a girl. Period. Yes we have cramps and mood swings and childbirth. Yes we deal with girl to girl drama and hormonal boys (or other girls) while we are just as hormonal. However, at the end of the day I would not want anything else than to be a woman. Women have come so far in our culture, have grown so strong, and have began to make such an impactful name for themselves. This empowerment only leaves me with the desire to change the world one day and to follow in the footsteps of my founding mothers.

It is so easy to forget how beautiful, mysterious, graceful, and extravagant creatures women are especially with the fight of feminism in modern society. So at the end of the day it is so important as a girl to remind yourself of all of the amazing things women get to be apart of.