by Shannon Everest, Australia
A woman belongs to herself.
She may have a husband or a partner that she loves dearly, but she doesn’t belong to this man.
She may have children, but she does not belong to these children; though she can express beautifully as a mother with her children, being firm, loving, tender and supportive.
She has a mother and father herself, and even though these parents conceived her, gave birth to her and raised her from young, she never, ever belonged to them, but always to herself.
She also might have brothers and sisters, but these siblings she grew up with, experienced the beginnings of life and had much childhood fun with, do not define her; she does not belong to them.
She will have lots of family, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, but she does not belong to these people.
She will have friendships with these connections being very dear and precious to her, but she does not belong to these connections; she belongs to herself.
She may be employed, but she does not belong to her employer, or to her fellow workmates or clients and patients or customers. Although she very much loves her work and all of the people she has the joy of meeting through her work, this does not define her. She does not belong to these roles.
A woman belongs to herself.
She may also have a pet, such as a dog, and even though she has a responsibility to this member of her family, to walk, to feed, to shelter and give it warmth, she does not belong to this pet.
The truth that a woman belongs to herself – first, is the most intrinsic, innate truth and natural law I know myself. This truth is an absolute known to me, and I know it from living my life.
Yet everything in this world tells me otherwise.
Every relationship I have ever had at various times in my life, dares to say in some shape or form, that I belong to it and must therefore adhere to its rules.
These are rules that have not honoured the inner feelings that rest deep in my heart.
A natural law to me is that I belong to myself.
A rule would be that I belong to all of the relationships I have – before belonging to myself first.
The order of placing oneself first makes all the difference.
Rules are often expressions that to me occur without words, but rather in a silent body language that can be actually very loud! And often, to stand up and claim this natural law, and truth – that I am a woman and I belong to myself, creates calamity in others, because of all the roles we are so used to playing; all the needs we need met; the spaces that need filling…
But to stand up and to say ‘no’ to this old way of being offers the greatest of joys…
Reminding everyone who may have forgotten – that we belong to ourselves first.
Women in Livingness Blog 
“A woman belongs to herself” We are connected by love to all those around us and also to every other member of humanity and first and foremost we are connected to the love of God.
“Every relationship I have ever had at various times in my life, dares to say in some shape or form, that I belong to it and must therefore adhere to its rules.” This is brilliant, so true to the unspoken rules I encounter in relationships and in other ways, One of my favourite all time blogs, it’s timeless in its truth.