A woman should have...

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...

I wish, I want, I should...this kind of freedom would mean the world to me some days.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

I've managed to collect some pretty versatile things over the last few years. I'm more in touch with my feminine side and I'm really starting to understand my own little touches of flair (for lack of a better word).

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a youth she's content to leave behind...


I'm not going far from this yet, but I do feel the need to be more reckless. Life passes by real quick. I'm gonna be 28 this year. When the the hell did that happen?! I remember thinking that when I was 17, that would be so cool, and then when I was 21, that would be the beginning of so much, and then when I was 25...well, little less thinking, lot more doing. I think these things when I'm running at the gym staring out into traffic.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....

See above. I already retell my stories and get great laughs now. Life is too shy to be bashful and embarassed. People can relate. Really, they can and the best remedy is laughter. Always.

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

Check, check, and check

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...


I have amazing friends. My real, true friends I can count on for anything. I'm grasping onto the idea that my diversity of friends is my wealth and that they all serve a great and different purpose in my life.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

I have a furniture mecca. Buying furniture makes me feel like an adult. I did get the pub table all on my own and that's a pretty cool belonging.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

My mother is a great cook. I've learned from her and cooking is one of my favorite activities. When I retire, I want to just have big dinners with good friends, great music, and the best food. I want to have one of those houses that always has the door open. Marlena said that once. That she wished she had a house like mine where the door was always open. It made me think about my house and its availability in a different light. Not as a burden, but as an open door.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a feeling of control over her destiny...

I do and I don't. I believe that Someone has control over my destiny, but I still feel independent enough to throw caution to the wind now and then and say F@#& it! You only live once. I like how my MakeupGeek has taken control of her destiny. Those are the stories that I love to watch unfold. I'll unfold more of mine in the years to come...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

I'm horrible at this. Absolutley horrible. I fall and I fall to pieces; but it's in the picking myself up that I learn about myself. I've picked myself up over and over again and I've made promises to myself that I've broken, but I think I've learned for the next time. I always try to remember that love is risky and I would rather be broken now and then and find my strength to rebuild than never take the risk at all. I fear that I'll be a person who looks back on my life and doesn't see where I took any chances.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship...

No, no, no, and no. As much as I think I'm afraid of committment, I have a hard letting go of what I know. I've had the same type of job since I was 16, I'm horrible at confronting friends, I've obliterated some friendships because I let it all build until I just blow, and breaking up with lovers...not proud, not clean, not easy.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
I'm learning. That's all I have on this.

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...

I've been pretty confident and bold with the body that I've been given. What most people don't know is that I am always, and I mean nearly every minute of every day, aware of all of my flaws. I dream about the body that I want to have and I feel like it will never be within my reach. I don't breath insecurities like some women do, but I don't often feel pretty or feminine. I have some pretty negative thoughts on my worthiness when it comes to relationships. I think that I am my own worst enemy.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

Amen.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

I know, but I still make mistakes. Love hurts.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

Haven't had the opportunity but I know that I would be a chicken about it.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

Learning the difference between these people is exhausting and painful. It's an ongoing battle and my biggest dread as of late. I think that trust is the key to any relationship and finding someone you can trust no matter what feels next to impossible some days.

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...

I have my friends and my spots. Thankfully, there is always someone who is there to lend me a sholder or an ear. When you find those spots that sooth your soul, hang on to them with everything that you have. These are the places with the people that are going to get you through the toughest times of your life.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

Sometimes the things that I have accomplished and all the things that I want to accomplish are just nothing but a blur. I make lists of things that I want to get done and never manage to check everything off of one entire list. It is my goal to finish a list in a day. It is my goal to have all my "should haves" become "did thems" at some point in my life. I want to live a full life without regrets. I think that's the #1 thing that I want to check off my list.