Maya Knows...

I received an email from my friend, J, yesterday. She wanted me to have this poem that had been passed on to her. She said that she read it, and thought of me. It was written by Maya Angelou. I remembered reading this once, but for some reason, the words traveled on. But yesterday, the words set down their traveling bags and settled in. Maybe passed time had invited them to stay... You might find a place for them to settle in, too.

A woman should have...

enough money wihtin 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 let's her cry...

A woman should have...

a good piece of furniture not previously own 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...

A 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...

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 friends' 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...