The soul of a woman

"The soul of a woman must therefore be expansive and open to all human beings; 
it must be quiet so that no small weak flame will be extinguished by stormy winds; 
warm so as not to benumb fragile buds; 
clear, so that no vermin will settle in dark corners and recesses; 
self-contained, so that no invasions from without can imperil the inner life; 
empty of itself, in order that extraneous life may have room in it;
finally, mistress of itself and also of its body, so that the entire person is readily at the disposal of every call.
This is an ideal image of the gestalt of the feminine soul."
- St. Edith Stein