I came across this piece the other day, it is often attributed to Maya Angelou, it is written by Pamela Redmond Satran. Much of this I can hear my grandmother telling me, and some is much more contemporary. I hope you like it.
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 honoured…
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…
This weekend I will be dancing mainly to …………….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I
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How timely to read your blog and how I can hear my late mum saying some of the above and how I have done survived many and it has made me realise I am more resilient than I realised or give myself credit for!
In the last 2 years I have ended a 32 year old marriage because my children were (finally!) leaving home and I couldn’t see me and my husband together in old age, got 2 lodgers in to help with my finances so became a landlady, got myself a job at 53, sold my house in 4 days and going to rent a flat while I decide where I will ‘live’ in the future! I have just celebrated my 55th birthday in Spain and am having the time of my life – bring it on!
Am loving your blog so keep up the great work!
Denise
Denise, thank you for your comment. I’m thrilled to hear you say ‘bring it on’ – indeed! You have achieved so much in the past 2 years and proved your resilience and ‘go to it’ attitude! We can make the second half of our lives quite incredible – we have a choice in everything, even if at times that is purely in our attitude to a situation!
I promise to keep writing!
Have a great weekend
Rebecca