Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Day 199: Dianna's Rose

About 4 years ago, Dianna planted a rose bush in our yard. It generally produces only about 5 or 6 roses each year, often just one at a time, but they're quite beautiful. And I love how much Dianna watches for the roses to appear. She's generally not that interested in the flowers in our yard. . . except for this one. Sometimes it reminds me of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and the single rose that grows in this old city lot.

And I wanted to share this writing by Maya Anjelou:


"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..."
Maya Anjelou

And one last note: check out the little campaign video I added to the top right. It irreverantly pokes fun at them all, and I couldn't resist it!

16 comments:

Jess said...

This is wonderful- amazing words of wisdom! Thanks for sharing. :)

Jeanne said...

Excellent food for thought. Maya Angelou is a fantastic person.

Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful photo...love the color...great capture!
Cari

Reds said...

Beautiful words ... and beautiful rose!

Amy said...

I've read that before. So true! I love your rose picture. I saw that video this morning on the Today show. Hilarious!

pat said...

Love those great insights! I hope I have managed to teach myself and my daughter some of those, at least.

Anonymous said...

beautiful capture!

summerbl4ck said...

lovely color in that rose.

Sara said...

I love that quote. Inspiring.
And I enjoyed the story of Diana's rose.

Mom2Drew said...

Great words and beautiful flower. It's so full and open.

Debbi said...

Beautiful flower!~ and the beautiful words go along fantastically!

Bobbi said...

I couldn't leave a message yesterday but I wanted to let you know how stong your sister is!

Love this flower it is beautiful.

For Over 29 Years... said...

How sweet of you to showcase her flower. Love the quote. It's excellent and I hadn't seen it before.

Anonymous said...

I am going to bookmark this...and keep it forever, because these words are just so right! I love the photo of the rose too. Beautiful.

Amy said...

What a beautiful rose, I love how you captured it with the little bud in the lower right! Awesome words to live by too!

Tori said...

wonderful shot!