A woman should...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE by Maya Angelou

A Woman should have enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants 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 past juicy enough that she’s looking forward toward retelling it in old age… 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 good piece of furniture not previously owned by any one 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 loosing herself… 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, 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 have not been perfect, but it’s over. She should know what she would and wouldn’t do for love and more, how to live alone, even if she does not like it… whom she can trust, whom she can’t, and why she shouldn’t take it personally. She should know where to go…be it her best friend’s kitchen table… or a charming inn in the woods… when her soul needs soothing.

And every woman should know… what she can and can’t accomplish in a day… a month… and a year…