On Being a Woman

I love being a female. I would not change it for the world. I love the girly clothes, I love the girly colors, I love the ability to belt out chicky pop songs in my car, I love being sensitive and hormonal, and I love being strong and smart. I also love all of the females in my life. Each one is unique in her own way, and inspires me daily. I have some friends who are perfectly content with being single, and choose to enjoy every second of it. I also have some friends getting ready to settle down with their men and live "happily ever after." And of course there are many in the middle of the spectrum, right alongside yours truly! I have friends that call me crying when the world seems to be crashing down all around them. I have friends that I can turn to when I need advice, a smile, or just to vent. I don't know what my world would be like without these amazing women in it. Not very much fun, and pretty darn lonely, if you ask me.

Another inspiring woman in my life is my mother. She may be reading this, as she recently joined the fabulous world of Facebook and now has access to my personal blog! Haha. She has always been a source of strength for me. My mother is amazing. She went back to college and completed her degree when I went to college. She went to class with students the age of her DAUGHTER. That takes some guts! Not only that, but she kept her job working at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. How she balanced me, my brother, my father (child #3), her job, her studies, the housework, and her sanity....I'll never know! I always get cards from her on my birthday telling me how proud she is of me. I wish they made cards about daughter pride for their mothers! Sadly, they don't. But I will give her some public admiration on here, so I hope that counts for something...

When I was in the midst of walking away from a big chapter of my life (we'll call it "Relationship #3"), my mom was there for me. She told me the things she knew I needed to hear, along with the things she knew I wasn't going to like. That's love right there. She sent me an email forward that she knew I would like, but I don't think she ever knew just how much I appreciated it. I printed it off and have held onto it because I think it is so great. I try to follow it to the best of my abilities, and have recently checked some of the suggestions off my "To Do" list. It is claimed in the email forward that Maya Angelou wrote it, but that is apparently not true according to snopes.com. It was written by a woman by the name of Pamela Redmond Satran - a pretty smart lady by my standards! I have included the poem here for you to read, reflect, and perhaps even share with the sensitive and strong women in your lives.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
By Pamela Redmond Satran


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....Enough money within her control to move out...And rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....Something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...A youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....A past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her Old Age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....One friend who always makes her laugh...And one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....A feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...How to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...When to try harder...And WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... That she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...That her childhood may not have been perfect...But it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...What she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...How to live alone...Even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...Whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...Where to go...Be it to her best friend's kitchen table...Or a charming inn in the woods...When her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...What she can and can't accomplish in a day...A month...And a year...