Woman is the source of life. She creates life and grows it within herself, then brings it to life and says, "Our being will continue to live".
Macedonian woman knows how to love, to believe, to hope... She's brave and determined. She can be a real lioness if she's in danger, or God forbid, her child is in danger.
Although Macedonian society victimizes and puts her in a subordinate position, the Macedonian woman is not in even a bit a reflection of cowardice, betrayal, or any other form of incompetence or despair. She's not just the reflection that you see in a kitchen with hands full of work. She takes care of your children while at the same time she's making the house a warm home that spreads the most beautiful scents of our tradition.
Versatile, tolerant and undeniable, she, and she alone can make each of us a real person. Everyday existence as a wife and mother doesn't prevent her from becoming involved in the social processes of Macedonian existence.
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| Kelly Kozaris |
The famous "Mountain Queen" - Rumena Vojvoda, brave and worthy of her people will declare "I am a rebel, the whole world is against me. If so, let me become a real rebel! ", soon leaving her son without a mother. Unfortunately for her, it will be said, "It is not appropriate for a woman to lead us," followed by her killing by members of her squad.
The Macedonian woman continues to be the root of Macedonia today. Today's Macedonian women are modern, educated, sophisticated and equitable in every segment of society. She is the pillar of every family and consequently she is the pillar of the Macedonian being. As such, she should be respected and loved. To love her and not to forget her value. Women's intuition, fighting instinct, and determination to succeed make our women unobtrusive. Macedonian traditional values are strongly planted in her, that don't fade away thanks to our mothers, grandmothers, aunts. Our children grow up with their stories and lessons being passed down from generation to generation and thus remain and don't fade away from our collective memory.
No matter how much Macedonian identity and culture are denied, they will always exist and show their shine when our homeland mostly needs that. We rightly call our homeland Mother Macedonia, because every mother loves and protects her sons, just as Macedonia does that for all of us.
Maybe Macedonia is a woman ... Who knows? Perhaps this is why we are indestructible and utterly relentless when it comes to our being.
Text by Magdalena Mihajlovska
Full article in Macedonian language here
