With my self~declared birthday week coming to an end, I cannot help but think about all that has happened in the last 40 years. 11 States, one country, and countless houses that I have called home. Friendships made and friendships lost. Moments of happiness and laughter. Times of heartache and pain. The struggles of infertility. The ecstatic joy of my pregnancies. Job losses and career changes. Financial uncertainty. Abundance of necessities. Simply said, LIFE has happened.
And I wouldn't change a thing!
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My 40 tidbits about life:
1. I remember as a child seeing the adults at church and thinking how 'together' they seemed to be. The 30 and 40 year olds seemed to be financially secure, happy in their careers; exactly where they thought they should be. I was in awe of their lives. I longed for the day I would fall into the category of 'having it together'. I am 40 and I am still waiting for the day where I ' have it all together'. I am inclined to believe that those adults were not as together as my young mind thought they were.
2. The best things ARE worth the wait .
3. You should not leave a rubber~back carpet down for 3 years while you live in another country. The backing breaks down and sticks to the flooring and turns the vinyl yellow.
4. Family is not determined by bloodline, but rather by who you choose to surround yourself with~FRamily
5. Procrastination is a personality trait that stays with you!!
6. God is constant, consistent, caring
7. Rice a Roni and Spanish rice are still NASTY.
8. We cannot change the past. we can only strive to not repeat the hurts, unfairness...TODAY.
9. Close proximity is not needed for friendship~~~my closest friends are scattered!
10. No matter how hard you try you will say all the phrases your parents said to you to your kids~even though you swore you wouldn't!
11. My children hate spit baths as much as I did.
12. As we grow older, we forget so many things that have happened, but the memories of the embarrassing things linger on!
13. Pimples are not just for the young!
14. A sad movie still makes me cry~~and Steve still looks over at me to see if I am crying.
15. When your grandmother says to you 'One of these days eating like that will catch up with you."~~Yeah, she's right.
16. When you lose weight and you say, " I am NOT going to gain that back!" Um, sadly you do!!
17. Keeping up with the laundry STILL doesn't happen in my house~~maybe I will accomplish this in the next 40 years!
18. Being true to yourself is crucial no matter your age.
19. All things are possible when you keep God as your focus.
20. Fresh, garden tomatoes are still the BEST food ever.
21. Mice do not get any less creepy the older you get.
22. As much as I thought I wanted to settle in one place, the thought of moving every few years is much more alluring.
23. I am very cynical of the intentions of other people~~even though I would like to believe in the goodness of others.
24. I LOVE going to college!
25. There are MANY, MANY decisions I would love to 're-do'
26. The pain of losing a loved one eases over time, but the sadness lingers.
27. It is harder than I thought to come up with 40 things.
28. If you do not continue playing your flute, you forget how!!
29. The algebra that you said you 'would never use' in high school you actually NEVER use it after high school.
30. Parenting is the hardest, most rewarding thing I have ever done.
31. I am as directionally challenge as an adult as my teacher said I was in the first grade.
32. Prayer is a blessing that God has granted us.
33. I see alot of myself in my oldest daughter~~~~and it scares me!
34. If I had to do it over again, I would NOT have a wedding. I would elope!
35. Patience and tolerance of others are character traits that you have to work on~they do not just come naturally.
36. I hate grocery shopping and cooking. Too bad I don't dislike eating.
37. You never outgrow the need for the approval of others~~~even though you want to.
38. There are some days I wish I could be pregnant again. And then I regain my senses!
39. Even though my life is not as 'together' as I thought it would be when I was 40, I am happy!!!
40. I cannot wait to see what the next 40 years brings!!!!
