Dear Women-- by Shadlan Gale

 If you've read my post on  30 things I'm grateful for you will have noticed that on #17 I listed a few guys of whom I feel indebted to for maintaining my love and respect for men due to their awesomeness.  On that list within a list I noted a one Shad Gale, you are about to read why.  Here is his letter to women. Enjoy.

Dear Women,

            First and Foremost, Thank you:

            For willingly giving birth to everyone that has ever existed on this earth; for giving me cooties when I was in the second grade. For teaching, nourishing, and caring for your children; for having the desire to have children of your own some day.

Thank you for having legible handwriting. For buying me that tie for Father’s day. For waking up before everyone else in order to cook breakfast and pack me a lunch.

Thank you for giving me a ride to school; for teaching me how to dance. Thank you for kissing me on the side of my mouth to leave me wanting more. Thank you for the “I love you, have a great day!” note that you left on the seat of my truck. For taking care of me when I am sick.

Thank you for making me nervous before our first kiss. Thank you for holding my hand every chance that you get. For tickling the back of my neck until I fall asleep. For laughing at my dumb jokes even if they’re not that funny. Thank you for singing to me. Thank you for reminding me of people’s names when we see them just in case I’ve forgotten. Thank you for holding on to me like I am the only thing that matters.

But mostly, for loving me.

            Who You Are and Why You Are Important:

            You are a daughter of a loving God that has sent you here to Earth with a very special and individual purpose in mind. You are brilliant, creative, and full of life. When you walk into the room, the world stops to observe; not because your boobs are big or whatever, but because you have an aura about you that silences the souls of men [Even if the men are so shallow that they think it’s your boobs doing that to them, it’s really not, they just haven’t figured that out yet. I promise.]

You are a mother, a daughter, a co-worker, a wife, and a grandmother. You are who gives birth, not just to a child, but also to a generation.

You are a professional at connecting with people and understanding their emotions. You are a shoulder to cry on. Yet, you are also a cryer looking for a shoulder. You give more than you receive, but you don’t complain. You are absolutely amazing and the world would end if it weren’t for you.

            What To Do:

            Remind yourself everyday that you’re beautiful. Love everyone. Smile. Repeat.

            What Not To Do:

            Don’t think that you aren’t beautiful…ever.

Don’t suppose that I know that you’re upset just because you said, “I’m fine” instead of “I’m good.” Don’t rub it in my face when you’re right and I’m wrong; my pride is hurt enough as it is. But, don’t be afraid to prove me wrong. Don’t think that I’ll only love you if your hair is done and your make-up is perfectly painted on your face.

Don’t text and drive.

Don’t become a celibate nun just because you are waiting for a missionary; things probably won’t work out between you two anyway. Don’t tell me something like “You remind me of my brother.” Don’t think that you understand men; your brain isn’t that simple.

Don’t not give a guy a chance; you never know until you let it happen.

Don’t read into things too much. Don’t think that I’m upset because I said “I’m fine” instead of “I’m good.” Don’t act dumb just to make me feel smart. Don’t think I’m cheating on you just because I’m not right next to you. Don’t hide your talents from me. Don’t be afraid to break social norms. Don’t think that just because I’m nice to you that I’m fully interested in dating you.

Don’t forget to have faith. Don’t gossip. Don’t rely on me, your parents, or anyone else to make decisions for you. Don’t think that you can’t do it…whatever it is. Don’t let the world tell you what you should do and who you should be. Don’t forget to pray…a lot. Don’t turn down opportunities to learn something new. Don’t stop being you just because you’re with me.

            What You Should Know About Men:

            We are not all the same: just because you had one bad experience with one of us doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen with all of us.

We like to feel appreciated and needed more than anything else (example: we know that you are fully capable of opening the door by yourself, but we like to feel that no door in the world would ever open for you unless we opened it first). Speaking of which, chivalry isn’t dead, but you women are slowly stabbing it to death by either not accepting it or not expecting it from us. So, work on that.

We are not very good “sign” readers. So, if you’re upset or something is bothering you, don’t get too mad at us for not realizing that that you are pissed off at something (most likely something we did or didn’t do).

The last thing I’ll say about this topic is: if you want to have a special night out to dinner with us, during which you’d like us to pay full attention to what you’re saying, never take us to a sports bar/grill or anywhere else that may have a television(s) broadcasting current games or last night’s highlights.

            What We Want to Know About Women:

            Why do you almost always go for the (excuse my French) douchebags rather than the guys that will treat you as you deserve to be treated? We understand that you’re naturally attracted to being secure and safe, but sometimes financial and/or physical security isn’t as important as your emotional, mental, spiritual, intellectual, security. Think about it, that’s all we ask.

Another topic: periods. We don’t need to know everything that goes on there, but it’d be nice if you simply let us know when you’re going through your “cycles.” It’s something that we have not had to deal with every few weeks our entire lives, so we don’t automatically assume that it’s even an issue.

             Finally, why do you tend to think that you’re not good enough when really nothing better exists? Self-confidence and maturity can be some of the most attractive things about a woman, so make it happen.

Know, I may not know you, but I love you.

            You may be asking yourself, “but how is that possible? There are so many different women out there; how can you love me without knowing who I am?” Explanation: I understand that each of you as an individual is different in some way or another, but as a whole, you are all, by your natural similarities, very much the same. Examples of such similarities: you are caring, you have the capability of being something great, you smell really, really good, you are easy to talk to, you are in tune with your emotions, you don’t have a penis, etc. It is by these similarities that I am able to say to you, whoever and wherever you are, that I love you…and mean it.

May you ever find happiness in all of your adventures.

-Shadlan.