Thirty Four

Somehow, today I'm thirty four.  There was a time, not too long ago, I looked like this.

The girl with me in the picture shall remain nameless.  I love her too much to expose her identity.


I remember when I was in middle school and anything over twenty one was pretty ancient.  In high school if you showed up at a party and you were twenty you were old news.

Today, I'm thinking 65 is still young. 

This is one of the many differences between being a kid and being thirty four.  I still had so much to learn.  Today, the best gifts aren't in packages.  Years ago they were.  My daughter played "Happy Birthday" to me on her ipod keyboard this morning.

Best gift ever. 

In no particular order, here are thirty four things I've learned on the way to being thirty four.

Every one of them was learned by loving, living, making mistakes and moving on.  Cheers to that.

1.  Cherish family. These people don't have to be related to you.  I'm thankful mine are. 
2.  Good friends are hard to find.  Forever friends are few and far between.
3.  You won't be the same person after becoming a parent.  This is a good thing.
4.  Be kind.
5.  Even when someone is a total ass, be kind.  That's on them.
6. Don't judge a book by its cover.
7. You can live with a lot less than you think you can.
8. The only thing you can always count on is change.
9. Roll with the punches, or they'll knock you down.
10. Volunteers, whether they be coaches, class parents or working in a soup kitchen, deserve more respect.
11. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
12. The more I feel pressured to do something, the less I want to do it.
13. A body in motion stays in motion.
14. Don't tell your kids what NOT to do, remind them what TO do.  This is a hard lesson to remember.
15. Be thankful in everything, always.
16. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
17. What you eat standing up DOES count.
18. Listen before you jump to conclusions. I'm still working on this one.
19. Respect yourself.
20.  Being kind doesn't mean being a doormat.
21. Save when you're young.  Time goes by very fast, and money doesn't go into the bank when you have kids.
22. Too much alcohol brings bad things.  Always.  Keep your wits about you.
23. There is no better therapy than time with my kids.
24. Time heals all wounds.  At the very least it lessens the pain.
25. When the sun is shining, get outside.
26.  It's important to be a part of something. If you're not, the wrong thing will find you every time.
27. Washing bedsheets and remaking beds stinks.
28. So does emptying a full dishwasher.
29. Believe in magic. Let your kids believe in magic. If you can't believe in Santa or a tooth fairy when you're seven than you never will.
30. Be patient with kids.  You were one too.
31.  Politics suck.
32. I will never tire of my mom's kitchen. Ever.
33. Finding a good man is hard; grab him when you find him.
34. Believe in God.  The world is a scary place without Him.
 
Life is journey, not a destination.  Let's remember to enjoy the ride. Cheers!