In May 1997 Glamour Magazine published a list of great advice created by New York Times bestselling author and regular Glamour columnist, Pamela Redmond Satran titled “30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30″.
As sometimes happens with pop culture and the internet, the advice in this column spread like wildfire. It did the rounds in 1999 ( you may have received it in your inbox) titled “Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know,” with the tagline “Maya Angelou’s Best Poem Ever.” Pamela Redmond Satran wasn’t impressed with her work being credited to Maya Angelou and was quite vocal about the fact in a Huffington Post blog. Satran says she has also seen this piece attributed not only to Maya Angelou but to Jesse Jackson and Hillary Clinton as well.
The list became a phenomenon; posted on hundreds of websites. It has in fact proved so popular that it is also now available as a book. You can pick up your copy of 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30 on Amazon.com.
It certainly has taken on a life of its own across the web, has been added to and shared many times over, and for very good reason. It’s great advice. So to add to its circulation on the world-wide-web and because we love the sentiment it entails, we’ve decided to share it here. If you’ve seen it before, we hope it offers inspiration anew and if it is the first time you read this, that you appreciate why it has proven so popular.
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 honoured
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.
And now it’s your turn: what would you add to this? What do you think a woman should have or a woman should know? Let us know in the comments below.
