I think I may have been at a friend’s house when I first saw the poem, Imagine a Woman. This year it is celebrating its 15th anniversary which means I was an early “thirty-something” when I read it and was ripe for its message. I had just opened the Holistic Arts Studio (now Wellspring Holistic Center), and had been teaching and mentoring its message since my twenties. Of course, now in my late 40′s I realize how little I knew back then, how much more I understand now, and how far I still have to go I in living its inspiration! Join me on May 3rd, as Mandala Design Works launches our partnership with Patricia Lynn Reilly ( the author of the poem) and Imagine a Woman International. We are a perfect match, as we all choose empowerment through self-acceptance, passionate living, and community spirit! Join the birthday celebration and imagine all women in love with themselves! Here is the whole poem (and me 15 years ago!):

Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is a woman.
A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who trusts and respects herself.
A woman who listens to her needs and desires.
Who meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who acknowledges the past’s influence on the present.
A woman who has walked through her past.
Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.
A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf.
Who refuses to surrender except to her truest self and wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.
A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness.
Who designs a personal spirituality to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body.
A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.
Who celebrates its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honors the body of the Goddess in her changing body.
A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom.
Who refuses to use her life-energy disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.
A woman who sits in circles of women.
Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.