I am the shape of plenty, the size of passion,

the power of numbers, the future of fashion.

A beautifully audacious curvaceous form.

I am the average woman.

I am the norm.

I will not let the number on a

scale decide my self worth.

I choose to be a strong, intelligent Woman

who is seen more for who she is on the inside,

because Beauty is not what you see..

It's what you possess within.

I realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change... or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. I have come to terms with the fact that you are NOT Prince Charming and I damn sure am NOT Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with ME...I am not perfect and not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what I am... and that's OK. You are entitled to your own views and opinions..I have stopped complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to me or didn't do for me. The only thing I can really count on is the unexpected.

I've learned that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say. I realize that much of the way I view myself, and the world around me, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into my psyche. And I begin to sift through all the junk I've been fed about how I should behave, how I should look, how much I should weigh, what I should wear, what I should do for a living, how much money I should make, what I should drive, how and where I should live, who I should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you owe your parents, family, and friends, is just WAY to freaking unbelievable! It takes ME away from "me". No more!

I am learning to open new worlds and different points of view. I am starting to redefine who i am and what i stand for.......I am learning about love. Romantic love....how to love, how much to give, when to stop and when to walk away. I will NOT be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on my arm. I am learning to look at relationships as they really are and not as i would have them be. I am learning that just as people grow and change, so it is with love. And I am learning that I don't have the right to demand love on my terms, just to make me happy. Alone does NOT mean lonely! I have the right to want the things I want and it is sometimes necessary to make demands, but i have come to the realization that I deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and I will NOT settle for less....I will only allow the hands of a lover who cherishes me to glorify me with his touch, that is just self-respect! Life isn't always fair. We don't always get what we THINK we deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting good people.