Being a lady

1. A Lady relies on her mind and manners to gain her respect, never her sexuality. She is comfortable enough with her femininity not to use it as a weapon nor as a form of currency.

2. A Lady is gracious. She expresses gratitude not merely because it is proper, but because she truly feels grateful. Her praise is sincere, her criticisms constructive and tactful. A lady never spreads gossip. (In cases of extreme temptation, only her closest friend or her mother may be worthy discrete confidence). 3. A Lady has a quick, refined, and intelligent sense of humor. She simply must in this day and age. If a lady is present during an offensive joke, she does not scold or encourage shame in the parties involved. She merely directs her attention elsewhere or tactfully changes the subject.

4. A Lady is educated. Whether through academia or self-instruction, a lady cannot be content to let others think for her. She must have opinions and share them with prudence.

5. A Lady should be an accomplished Renaissance woman. She should have a sound understanding of literature, languages, the arts, the sciences, and politics. She should be able to express (at the very least, a rudimentary) knowledge of any subject. Where a lack of knowledge exists, a lively interest should fill its place.
6. A Lady is strong. She follows the dictates of her own moral code and conscience first and foremost. She practices self-control in the understanding that freedom is often hidden in restraint. She is not a slave to her passions. Because of her high standards and dedication to her path, whatever life decisions she makes should be deserving of deep respect.

7. A Lady is graceful. Not merely in her movements, but in her desire to make those around her comfortable. She remembers names, listens well, and offers tea liberally. This tendency is not submissive; it should be perfectly reciprocated by the Gentlemen.

8. A Lady dresses well out of respect for her person and not to please others. However, if the opportunity arises to wear elbow-length satin gloves and a tiara, a true Lady will find this quite palatable. Remember, small, tasteful jewels are always preferable to larger gems of lesser worth.
9. A Lady never patronizes others. Even though her standards may differ from those held by her company, she never allows others to feel inadequate. That would be a grave failure on her part.

10. A Lady knows how a gentleman should treat her. She accepts opened doors as an act of kindness and respect, not as a patronizing gesture. In a nod to postmodern feminism, she may offer to pay the bill, but does not argue when the Gentleman insists (as the Gentleman always should unless special circumstances are present). She allows Gentlemen to behave towards her with propriety. She expects no less.

I wish I could say that I thought these up myself, but the credit for them goes to The Society For The Revival Of Ladylike Behaviour Facebook Group.

Live Like You Were Dying...

Hello there! I'm brand new to the blogging world... and would like to introduce myself. I'm a young lady who seems a bundle of contradictions to myself at times - homeschooled but definitely not sheltered, ladylike but with a nurse aide job and farm animals that require doing some pretty "dirty" things on an almost daily basis, a lover of homemaking skills but an absolute flop at sewing a skirt, painfully shy but talkative, romantic but forced realist. My faith in God defines who I am more than anything else in my life. And the title of this post? That's my life goal.