"ѕhє wσrє flσwєrѕ ín hєr hαír αnd cαrríєd mαgíc ѕєcrєtѕ ín hєr єчєѕ. ѕhє ѕpσkє tσ nσ σnє. ѕhє ѕpєnt hσurѕ σn thє rívєrвαnkѕ αnd hαd mídníght ѕwímѕ." — αrundhαtí rσч

(painting by Manet)

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

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... 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 to retelling it in her Old Age.... A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE . 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 WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... 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... A feeling of control over her 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... 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.. 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... 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... ॐ Written By: Maya Angelou/Pamela Redmond Satran

THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU

The person next to you… Look around you… Who are the people sitting next to you? The people next to you… are the greatest miracles you will ever meet at this moment - and the greatest mysteries. The people next to you… have an inexhaustible reservoir of possibilities, which have only been partially been touched. The people next to you… are a unique universe of experience seething with necessity and possibility, dread and desire, smiles and frowns, laughter and tears, fears and hopes - all struggling to find expression. The people next to you… … are surging to become something, … to arrive at some destination, … to have a story and a song, … to be known and to know. The people next to you… … believe in something, … stand for something, … count for something, … labor for something, … wait for something, … wait for something, … run from something, … run towards something. The people next to you… … are more than any description, … are more than any explanation, … are more, much, much more. The people next to you… are searching… … for meaning, … for inner-peace, … for self-esteem, … for something they already have … they just have to realize that. The people next to you.. have problems and fears, … just like you, … are often undecided, … but are endowed with great toughness in the face of adversity and are able to survive the most unbelievable difficulties and challenges. The people next to you… … are combinations of people met during all of their lifetimes. The people next to you… have something they can do better than anyone else in the world, have strengths they do not even recognize, need to talk to you about those abilities, need you to listen, but do they dare speak them to you? The people next to you… … need a friend, … want to be a friend, … can comfort you, … care for you, … understand you, … and love you. Isn’t that what you want? It’s what they want. The people next to you… are special human beings … and so are you! You will want to get to know these people. Author Unknown