A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

..one old love
she can imagine
going back to...
and one who reminds
her how far she has come...

                                                      ...enough money within her
control to move out and
rent a place of her own
even if she never wants
to or needs to...

..something perfect to wear if
the employer or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...

..a youth she's content to leave behind...

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

...a set of screwdrivers, a
cordless drill, and a black
lace bra...

..one friend who always makes
her laugh... and one who lets
her cry...

...a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family

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

..... feeling of control over every woman's destiny

                                      EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...


..how to fall in love without
losing herself...


..how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without ruining the friendship...

...when to try harder... and
when to walk away...

...that she can't change the
length of her calves, the width
of her hips, or the nature of her
parents...

...that her childhood may not
have been perfect...but its over...

...what she would and wouldn't
do for love or more...

..how to live alone... even if
she doesn't like it...

...whom she can trust,
whom she can't,

                                                              and why she shouldn't
take it personally...

...where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

..what she can and can't
accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...