The Lady Quote - First Edition

In college, of all places, a new found freedom often makes girls forget some of the manners they've been taught. Independence, self-sufficiency, and feminism are preached by all types of media -- professors, books and magazines, television, music.... etc ... you get the picture. It is a time if your life where you're redefining yourself and learning who you want to become. It is a time where you have MORE than your fair share of voices pushing and pulling you in various directions and you decide that being a lady isn't really a priority.

So, you might be wondering what "The Lady Quote" has to do with any of this.... and I won't hold you in suspense any longer! In my college sorority, there was a tradition we called "The Lady Book" where a sister would share quotes from a book about being a lady. I suppose this was a subtle way of reminding the girls in our chapter that we had a certain image to uphold, but it was always fun to hear what the weekly quote would be, and learn every one's opinions --- there would always be someone who had something to say!

I'm hoping to do something similar to that here with "The Lady Quote"... just share some simple quotes I find about being a lady, let you know where I found them, what I think about them, and give you a chance to say how you feel as well. And, I'll be the first to tell you that I have a lot to learn in this department, seeing as I flat out refused to take part in our local cotillion classes when I was in middle school, and my mom is constantly reminding me of the "proper" way to handle certain situations. I've learned a lot in the last year or so and hope to learn some more as I write each edition of "The Lady Quote".

Without further ado, I give you the first edition of "The Lady Quote", inspired by my recent quest to write Thank You notes for all our many wedding gifts.

"A lady is prompt in writing thank-you notes -- within ten days of receiving a gift if at all possible. Writing a note lets the giver know in a tangible way just how grateful she is for his or her generosity. The extra effort to write a thank-you note speaks volumes about a lady's courtesy."

How to Be a Lady - A contemporary guide to common courtesy

by Candace Simpson-Giles

I was quick to write all my thank-yous after our wedding showers, but it has been quite a daunting task to complete the wedding gift thank-yous. So if you're out there reading and you haven't gotten yours yet, don't worry, it's still on its way! I definitely have NOT made the 10 day deadline, but I'm hoping to beat Emily Post's 3-month deadline. (Speaking of, how many of you have heard the rumor that you should have a whole year?? I only recently learned about the 3-month rule, and that means time is QUICKLY catching up with me!) Of course, I still believe in the better-late-than-never rule, so if I fail to make the deadline, I'll keep plugging along until they're all done. The most important part to me is making sure the notes are heartfelt and meaningful. As soon as I start to feel like I'm not personalizing what I'm writing, I give it up and save it for another day. Hopefully some day REALLY soon I'll be able to post that I've completed them all! I can't wait!

*Lady Lockslie*