Another Year older and hopefully a tad bit wiser!
Seriously though, I have really grown a lot this year through blood, sweat, tears and the grace of Jesus and I am proud of the work I've done.
In honor of my big day, I have compiled a list of a few lessons I've learned or am still learning in my 35 years on this planet! Cheers!
1. It's never too late to become who you were meant to be, but never stop growing, searching and evolving.
2.You can break the cycle. Whatever "Family curse" has been passed down from generation to generation, you can be the one to turn it all around.
3. Apparently when you reach a certain age, no amount of hair dye covers stubborn grey hairs! This is sad...
4. It's never too early to decorate for Christmas. If you want to dive in the day after Halloween, you go for it! Don't let the Grinches win!
5. Flowers bloom in well tended soil. So be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself. Feed your soul and watch how your beauty will grow and fill others lives with joy.
6. Don't be in a rush to grow up. It starts with if only I was old enough to drive, old enough to date, old enough to move out. . Before you know it, you'll be missing those days. Don't live for the future. Enjoy the present and submerse yourself in it.
7. Don't get tattoos of your boyfriend's name after less than 6 months of dating. You will possibly live to regret this. (Also make sure your tattoo artist knows his Roman Numerals before doing 2 tattoos with them!)😂
8. You don't need a ton of friends. You need a few quality ones. The older I get, the more I value my small tribe of Women and Moms who have my back and I can trust with my children.
9. Raising boys is hands down the most exhausting experience of my life. Every. Single. Day.
10. God is always there, even if you think He is being silent. You are never truly alone. If all you have is Jesus, you are richer than most.
11. I know Take N' Toss cups imply that they are disposable..but seriously..how do I lose every single one so fast?!
12. In a related note, Tupperware lids and bobby pins also disappear in some bizarre voodoo magic!
13. Never let someone define your worth, other than Jesus.
14. Don't let someone who was meant to be a chapter in your story, rewrite the whole book. Take back the pen.
15. Do the hard things. They are the most worth it. You don't get to the mountain tops, without walking through the valleys.
16. Don't waste your whole life hating your reflection. Learn to love yourself and the beautiful. unique masterpiece God is making out of your life. Embrace who He made you, inside and out. Sooner, rather than later.
17. If you find yourself wanting to try a new look when you're a teenager, may I suggest you don't pluck off all your eyebrows. They take 20 years to grow back!
18. I cannot pull off the goth look. I learned this the hard way. Black lipstick, no eye brows...try to picture it...or don't!
19. Mothers deserve a million dollar salary, but the payment is invaluable in the form of hugs, kisses, unconditional love and admiration and the satisfaction of watching these little people grow into fantastic people through your guidance.
20. Don't wish away your kid's life "Phases."
Life goes by at lightning speed when you're a mother. I can't wait till they sleep through the night, leads to longing to have a baby to rock to sleep again. I can't wait till they are more independent, leads to wishing they would let you hold them a little longer. I can't wait till they get over their Curious George phase, leads to cursing Caillou and his whiny voice every day of your life!
Phases end and new things begin. We can't stop them from growing. We can learn to find contentment in every season, knowing that this too shall pass and that we'll somehow miss it one day.
21. Life is way easier without credit card debt. If at all possible, avoid those plastic devils and their taunts to take them to the latest sales. It can take a very long time to dig yourself out of that hole and you spend so much of your life paying off money you didn't have to begin with, instead of being able to live off of what you make now!
22. Learn to differentiate between well intentioned people who made a mistake and toxic people who will abuse your forgiveness. Then choose your circle wisely.
23. If your husband says "It wasn't that bad,right?" about the worst labor of your life, it should probably be mandatory that he experience a labor simulator!
24. Ban glitter from your house now. It never..ever...ever comes out of your grout lines!
25. Be intentional. Wake up. Make plans and goals. This is how dreams come to life.
26. Tell people what you need. We waste too much time wondering what people are thinking or being upset with them for not knowing what we are thinking or feeling. Communication is key to healthy relationships.
27. Let go of pain, grudges and unforgiveness. It isn't for them. It's for us. Sometimes we feel like letting go, is letting them off the hook. But it's really cutting the string of the last thing that holds us to the people who hurt us.
28. It is really hard to find women's shoes in size 12. Every store cuts off at 11. Why would they do this to the tall girls?
29. Life is better in a community. Let people in. They may hurt you, they are human; but life wasn't meant to be done on our own. We need each other.
30. Kids are hard and challenging and it's a beyond full time job, but they are the greatest privilege and reward. Invest in them and watch them change the world.
31. This is too many numbers..I am old.
32. I am done with the should've, could've,would've thoughts. I am here now. I am who I am. The people who love me are in my life. The people who didn't, left. I couldn't know, what I didn't know then; but now I do and I can make better choices. All I have is one life and a chance to make it count for something greater than myself.
33. Be the person who makes others feel like they really matter. Smile at strangers. Offer to help someone struggling with their grocery bags. Pay for lunch of a police officer or single parent. Listen to your friends like they are the only ones in the room. Put your phone down and talk to people. Exude love and kindness and people will keep coming back.
34. Don't ever give up. Sometimes the skies go dark and the storm seems to last forever, but there is someone or something waiting in your future that will make you glad you didn't. Just hold on till you find your purpose. We all have one.
35. Tell people how you feel about them. That you love them, that you're proud of them, that they are one of your closest friends or favorite people. Don't leave people wondering where they stand with you. Show them.
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