I definitely understand the problems with defining “being feminine,” as described by Briana W. in “Defining Femininity.” As a child, I loved to get down and dirty playing kickball and other rough games. The way she described her pre-adolescent self ­reminded me of how much joy I, too, found in playing in mud and rain, and how I shared her feelings of excitement when an amphibian was caught on the playground!

And the line, “I am proud to say that I am a young woman with a passion for being ­herself,” is what I feel every day. “Being feminine” and “being myself” both define the same experience.