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...

by Pamela Redmond

LOVE IT!!!!

I'm good with everything except this one line:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

In my world, hubby can do the screwdriver-drill routine, and if he does a good job, maybe I'll reward him by wearing some black lace intimates. With a string of pearls of course! lol

oops. I forgot we are in the spiritual section... Amen!

Way to motivate your man. You go girl. No wonder your hubby always asking what needs to be fixed.

But we should still know how to use those tools because heaven forbid, what might we do when they aren't around?

Wellllll, lol.....let's see. I was single for many years of my life. I tried fixing things on my own, only to mess things up further. (although I DID put together a Pioneer stereo all by myself once. It took me 2 days but I was so proud of myself) I had to face it. I did not have a green thumb and I was not a "Tool-time Lady." lol

I took an "Auto Mechanics Course for Ladies," around age 20 and at the end of the first class, the guy said he would literally refund my money and pay me not to come back. lol lol

So if hubby were not around, I'd ask my son or one of his friends to help me mend a table or program a remote. Failing that, I'd call the local vo-tech high school/college and hope they could send an apprentice. Failing that, I'd pray I had saved up enough pennies to hire a handyperson.

Failing that, I'd pray that some boomer-female I know would be a whiz with fixing whatever needed fixing.

oops. It's Sunday......

Dear Lord: Thank you for giving me the eyesight to read both an instruction manual and the yellow pages. Amen!

Thx Dotsie for sharing that great poem, and Josie, for making me smile (again). I love the line:
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over... The second part of that one could really apply to many situations.

Funny how these things can come to pass when you least expect it. If you've (at least) run through a 'what if' scenario in your mind, it might not be so devastating if/when 'it happens to you'. Anyway, thank you Dotsie, for the reminder that this poem is for us. And thank you to Pamela Redmond for the wisdom.

These posts are fantastic, too funny!