What is a "Quiet Light"?
So, I figured for my first post I should probably explain why my blog is called "Quiet Light". When I originally decided I would start blogging, I wanted my focus to be true femininity in the life of a regular, everyday woman. I knew what sort of topics I wanted to approach and discuss, and so the next logical step was to decide what in the world I wanted to call this endeavor. I wanted the title to reflect the focus on womanhood and the message I want to express-- so I started trying a bunch of different titles, all of them including words related to "feminine" and "woman". But while I was combing through my mess of grey matter I keep beneath my cranium, this little thought kept popping up. It was a lyric of a hymn I had grown up singing at Mass; "Gentle woman, quiet light." The song is about Mary, and, you see, I have this interesting relationship with our Blessed Mother that I won't really get into right now. All you need to know is that she's been a major player in my faith life and that she often reminds me of--well, a mom. I think she was lovingly nagging me at that moment; you know, delicately shoving her idea in my face because she knows best.
"You should call it Quiet Light."
"Yeah, or I could not be so blatantly Catholic about it. How about something in French?"
"Mmm...how about Quiet Light?" *sarcasm intensifies*
No, but really, I thought that name was perfect, because when I think about what it means to be truly feminine, I often find myself remembering biblical women, especially Mary. What better role model for true womanhood than her? And so, Quiet Light was thus born.
So, what does it mean to be a "quiet light"?
I began reflecting on this idea as soon as I typed the words into the little title bar on my screen, and the more I thought about it, the more enamored I grew with it. You see, we live in a world where you are expected to be a shining star; by this, I mean we are expected to be loud, forceful, powerful, important, and self-centered. Don't believe me? Flip through any issue of Cosmo, look at almost any advertisement, or simply type in "quotes about women" on Pinterest.
But why is this bad, Caity? Why is the idea of a strong woman so abhorrent to you and your outdated religion?
News flash-- it isn't. I'm here to tell you something rather radical and shocking. You see, what we women have been taught to believe about ourselves since infancy isn't a total lie. It's just the truth, twisted in a way that suits the women who have come before us.
*women everywhere gasp in horror*
Now, stick with me. What I'm trying to say is that there is nothing wrong with being a strong woman. There is nothing wrong with being an independent woman. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your womanhood. What is wrong, however, is buying into the lie that your womanhood is an excuse, a weakness, or a gambit. And you'll find that strength, that independence, that pride is greatly enhanced by accepting absolute truth (this crazy idea that you don't decide what is right and wrong, but those things have already been decided).
How do I know? I'm just a 23-year old who hasn't experienced enough of life to have an opinion.
Here's my story-- My Journey To Womanhood.
Again, what does it mean to be a "quiet light"? Well, I really hope that I can answer that question throughout the entirety of this website. I believe that this question can only be answered by example-- so I, with my many faults, volunteer (as tribute) to become a bit of an experiment for you all. This blog is me, in my little petri dish, and you all get to observe what my life is like as I embrace this idea of true womanhood and calm femininity. For now, I think that being a quiet light is accepting truth, and letting it shine through you without blinding people. We'll see if my perception (and if your perception) of being a quiet light changes over time!