I believe it is heartbreaking that 80% of 18-24 year olds polled in America said the most important thing in life was to be very rich.  (This is also a sad indictment of preceding generations, my own included.)

I believe in chopping vegetables by hand, in homemade soup and whole grain bread, and in the value of sitting long around a table with friends and family.  I wish I did this more often. 

I believe we should only wear clothes we love, and that nothing beats a pair of perfectly fitting jeans and a black turtleneck sweater.  Black turtlenecks are an aging woman’s best friend.

I believe beautiful stationary will always have its place, email notwithstanding. 

I believe that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.  (It’s a heady thing for a recovering perfectionist to type those words without choking.)

I believe in 30-minute bursts of constructive activity and that it’s more important to start a project than to finish it.  (If I start something, I may eventually finish it.  If I’m paralyzed by the thought of having to finish it, I won’t even start it.  Yeah, I know, I’m a deeply troubled person.) 

I believe the most universal experiences are generally the most profound.  Every birth leaves its witnesses speechless and every death is a tragedy never before known. 

I believe that in almost any sad situation showing up is half the battle; if you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything.  But show up anyway.  And attend funerals as often as possible.  You’ll never be sorry you attended a wake or funeral, but might regret staying away.  

I believe that no grandmother has ever loved her grandchild as I love mine.  I believe that every grandmother thinks that. 

I believe women are the greatest untapped resource in the world.

I believe soulful women could take world by storm if they wanted to and that if ever the world needs a feminine storm to pass through it, it is now.  Unfortunately, I don’t know how many soulful women are left.  Too many of us leave our true lives unlived and our souls die.

I believe this is unspeakably sad: that our lusty, powerful, loving, sexual, spiritual, life-giving, grieving, compassionate, righteously angry, childishly silly, wonderful feminine souls die. 

I believe we can—and must—help each other come to life.  

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