We women are amazing!

(Baonghean) - This afternoon, as soon as I arrived at the office, I saw several female colleagues huddled together eating beef tripe salad and stir-fried snails, chatting animatedly. Although I'm still on the payroll and looking vacant, I joined in the conversation:

- It's not even afternoon yet, why are you eating something so "salty"? When chatting, shouldn't we always have pickled mangoes, plums, and guavas, ladies?

"Hey girl, that's just a teenage preference. But for middle-aged women like us, we need something substantial to get things done. Eating like this is already very polite; we're lucky we haven't gone to the market to eat blood pudding or offal porridge yet!"

They all nodded in agreement, then one of them added:

- Back when we were dating, I was very shy about eating. I'd only drink about two-thirds of a smoothie, and I'd constantly check the clock while eating a cake, making sure it took more than 10 minutes before I dared finish it. After we got married, my husband said, "Why are you eating so much now? When we were dating, you ate so little, like a cat, always leaving food uneaten, which made me so sad." But now? When he goes out to eat with me, he has to eat with his head down for fear of missing out!

- I have to admit, everything was like a dream when we were dating. When we met, it was like seeing a movie star; we were all impeccably dressed and groomed. Now, I can finally wear decent clothes when I go out. My husband always wears baggy pants at home, constantly pulling them up. And I wear a white face mask and flip-flops like a ghost. But after we got married, my fear of ghosts completely disappeared!

I burst out laughing; these women must be threatening to leave me single forever!

- Just sit there and laugh. Unmarried girls are so lucky but don't appreciate it; they only realize it after they get married and have children. Just thinking about childbirth sends shivers down my spine. A normal C-section hurts one way, a C-section hurts another. It's "painful like childbirth"!

- After giving birth, you're neither human nor animal. Your hair is a mess, your skin is flabby and swollen, smeared with turmeric. All day long you're just dealing with diapers, milk, and breastfeeding. If the baby isn't asleep or eating, you wouldn't dare sleep or eat either. See? Just keep hoping to get married!

That's just what I'm saying, but I know perfectly well that these women prioritize their husbands and children above all else. Wherever they go, whatever they do, they're always anxious about whether it's time to pick up their kids, what time their husbands will be home from work, and what to buy at the market to cook. Some might even forget to apply eyeliner to their right eye, but they'll never forget to put on their husband's shirt or attend their child's parent-teacher meeting! Is being a woman hard? Admittedly, yes, but I'll also say that being a woman is very rewarding. Beautiful, intelligent, and well-behaved children are obviously thanks to their mothers; a successful husband, respected by friends and colleagues, is obviously also thanks to the wife's support.

In short, I find being a woman difficult. Your wife or mother may not accomplish great or extraordinary things, but she never overlooks anything related to her loved ones, no matter how small. And you know, happiness comes from small things cared for with love. Making others happy is a woman's instinct and extraordinary ability!

Hai Trieu