A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...one old love

she can imagine

going back to...

and one who reminds

her how far she has come...

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 its

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...