I think women are WON-DER-FUL!! God has blessed me with a circle of friends who are absolutely phenomenal -- smart, funny, generous, supportive, loyal, gentle, strong, honest, and loving. If I seem remotely, well-balanced, it's because of them! The other day, I had a chance to visit with a friend. While we've known each other for about 2 years, we've never really had a chance to talk. Our interactions are usually in the confines of a group environment.
I think every woman (men, too, I guess) has a 'Story'. Some of us have lots of Stories. For whatever reason, we've had to re-invent ourselves multiple times. In hearing her story, I laughed, was sad, and rejoiced at her strength and perserverance.
She made me so grateful for having a circle of friends who are willing to share the good, bad, and ugly Stories that are their lives. I think it's this telling that makes us stronger, smarter, and bonds us together.
As I left our meeting, I remembered one of my favorite Maya Angelou poems:
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size.
But when I start to tell them, they think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me. . .
*Painting is "Tchokola" by Synthia Saint James
AB -- Thank you. Your Story makes me sad. Someone should have protected you and loved you better. But, you are amazing! Your experiences haven't made you bitter, they've made you BETTER!
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