Monday, January 12, 2004

Sent By Asia
March 2003

 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...
Sent by Daddy Yuan

Wed, 23 Apr 2003

 Shake it Off

 One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He asked all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, when the donkey realized what was happening, he cried horribly.

Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

 Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!