Here's to the Woman

This is an annonymous poem that discribes many outstanding women I know and have known.
Four stand out - my mother, Vivian Scruggs, two dear friends Paula Alexander and Barbara Parnell, and a departed friend, Glenys Hendricks:

Here's to the Woman
who knows where she's going
and will keep on until she gets there;
who knows not only what she wants from life
but what she has to offer in return

Here's to the woman
who is loyal to family and friends,
who expects no more from others
than she is willing to give;
the woman who is confident in her beliefs
and yet is willing to listen
to what others have to say.

Here's to the woman
who guides and inspires
not by quoting others philosophies
but by living her own good example;
who accepts both victories and disappointments
with the same grace;
and who can rise above life's challenges and move on.

Here's to the woman
who gives the gifts of her thoughtfulness,
who shows her caring with a word of support,
her understanding with a smile;
a woman who brings joy to others
just by being herself.