I Give Myself Permission

To Be A Woman:

To recognize and appreciate that which makes me different from a man.

To recognize and appreciate that which attracts me to a man.

To wear dresses, and perfume, and carry a huge purse, if I want

To paint my fingernails and toenails hot pink

To wear a toe ring….a Toe Ring…….how appropriate!

To wear my favorite bangle bracelets.

To Be A Little Girl Again:

To sit on the floor and teach my granddaughter to play jacks

To color outside the lines, if I want

To play “dress-up” at the second-hand store

To sing my favorite songs, out of tune

To laugh for the pure joy of laughing

To say “EWWWWWWWWW” and “Whatever”

To Be A Professional Nurse:

To be a nurturer, a teacher, a friend, and a confidante

To be a fighter, aggressively seeking what my patients need

To be an expert, providing the quality care my patients deserve

To be funny, and fun, and smiling, bringing the sunshine into their lives

To advocate for issues that are important to me, such as child abuse

To Be A Friend:

To enjoy the gift of friendship that has been given to me

To treat each of my friends respectfully, and with caring

To appreciate the things we have in common, and 

To celebrate our differences

To “be there” for them, as they always are for me

To trust and be trusted

To Be A Lover:

To find in another the love that I seek

To appreciate, and not question it

To give of myself completely and not hold back

To treasure the gift that he gives me

To find joy in our relationship

To find love in our lifetime 

To discard expectations and value what really is

To give my heart and receive his in return

To Be All These Things At One Time:

To find my joy and infuse it in all my relationships

To seek knowledge and find it in unexpected places

To give more than I receive, at least initially

To appreciate fully the gifts that I receive from those I love

To hold dear the principles upon which I was raised

To demonstrate my concern for others every day

To laugh at myself, instead of others

To find humor, and love, and caring in out-of-the-way encounters

To be open to change, and embrace familiarity

To be a worthy occupant of this crazy world!