Be Like the Ocean: Lessons on True Womanhood

Written by: Dr Katarina Connery, WFWP USA President

Over the years, I’ve had the distinct privilege of observing the remarkable leadership of WFWP’s founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han, lovingly known as Mother Han. Life can be challenging, and unfortunately, for women growing up in today’s culture, there are many confusing messages about who we are, how we should be, and where our value comes from.

My personal journey has been to look past all the noise—the perplexing and sometimes demeaning messages about womanhood—to find the seeds of truth that resonate with my heart at the deepest level. One quote from Mother Han has been such a gem of wisdom for me. I’ve witnessed it reflected in her life, and I strive to emulate it in my own.

She says, “My life has been like an ocean. The ocean can generously embrace and unite with the sky and resemble its color. It is in the lowest place, where it accepts all the water of the world. The ocean embraces everything and conceives all life. In the ocean all varieties of living things are born and raised in abundance. Its tides ebb and flow in response to the pull of the moon and the changing seasons. It responds to the rays of the sun, creates water vapor and influences the weather. A calm ocean is peaceful on the surface, but deep inside enormous currents that move the ocean are constantly surging. When the waves of a tsunami rage, they can swallow everything. People cannot see the whirlpool beneath the surface. Heaven’s providence has surged like a typhoon, and my life has unfolded in its midst. There are so many circumstances that cannot be spoken of, which only I understand from the center of the providence. Crossing over that whirlpool, not allowing it to pull me down, I joined Father Moon in the work to complete the providential history of restoration.”

There are so many insights to draw from this beautiful passage. I’ll highlight just a few.

“The ocean can generously embrace and unite with the sky and resemble its color.”
To me, this speaks to the unique and precious ability of women to stretch themselves in order to accommodate others. Women are often deeply attuned to the moods, dispositions, and emotional states of those around them—our friends, spouses, children, coworkers, parents, and even our supervisors. We read nonverbal cues and adjust our responses accordingly, much like the ocean that reflects the sky.

“It is in the lowest place, where it accepts all the water of the world. The ocean embraces everything and conceives all life.”

While autonomy is often prized, there is also great power in the ability to respond instinctively to the needs of others. In that openness, others can feel embraced and accepted just as they are. The ocean receives all manner of rivers—big and small, straight and winding, deep and shallow, polluted or pristine. Likewise, we often look at ourselves or others with a critical eye, seeing where we fail to “measure up” to some standard or ideal. Yet the paradox is that only when we feel fully accepted and embraced—without judgment or expectation for change—does inner transformation take place. New life grows abundantly in the loving embrace of women.

“Its tides ebb and flow in response to the pull of the moon and the changing seasons.”

As women, we go through many seasons in life. Even within a single month, we experience the ebb and flow of energy and emotion. Like the full moon shining brightly in the night sky, we may sometimes feel ready to lead, serve, and radiate our light for all to see. At other times, we may feel like the new moon, needing rest, reflection, and renewal—spiritually, emotionally, or physically. This is not weakness; it’s wisdom. Just as the ocean shapes the weather by responding to the sun and the moon, women can bring about profound change when we understand and honor our own rhythms and seasons.

“A calm ocean is peaceful on the surface, but deep inside enormous currents that move the ocean are constantly surging.”

Even though we have a tremendous capacity to embrace and accommodate others, we must remember our own depths. Though the ocean can resemble the sky, it is not the sky, it has its own powerful currents beneath the surface. Living for others is not the same as extinguishing oneself. There are times when the waters are calm, but if a tsunami begins to surge, we must pay attention before we are swept away.

“People cannot see the whirlpool beneath the surface… Crossing over that whirlpool, not allowing it to pull me down…”

To me, this is a reminder that even when storms rage around us, we must not let them drag us under. At times, I feel caught in such a storm—whether from the endless responsibilities of motherhood or the flood of negative and polarizing messages in the media—but I cannot allow those forces to make me forget who I am. I must rise above the whirlpool and move forward into my purpose and identity.

Reflecting on these words, I’m reminded that womanhood, in its truest sense, mirrors the vastness of the ocean, strong yet gentle, deep yet open, ever responsive to Heaven’s call. To live this way is to live in harmony with God’s love, allowing it to flow through us and give life to everything we touch.