37 years

I have now been on this earth for 37 years.  Not long enough to call myself wise, I don’t think.  Long enough to say for certain that I at least know a few things.  37 to be exact!  Here’s a list of 37 life lessons I’ve learned in honor of my 37th birthday.

1. Every kid needs trees to climb.
2. Never boil or steam vegetables.  Every vegetable is better roasted, grilled, sauteed or raw.
3.  There’s no shame in selling really neat rocks that you found by a creek to neighbors when you’re 6 years old.
4. Singing along loudly during a broadway show will get you kicked out of the theater, even if you’re a kid.
5. Every child should have many loving adults helping to raise them.
6. All children benefit from diversity.
7. If the car door isn’t locked a particularly precocious child might just open it and swing out on the door like an action hero.  In other words, child locks are important.
8. Falling down is not so bad, sometimes it gives you the perspective that you need.
9. Getting back up can be hard, but it’s never impossible.
10. Change is frightening but constant.
11. Moving to a new place is frightening, but friendship can be found everywhere.
12. Every kid needs a place to swim.
13. Manners are important.
14. Every kid needs music, sports, art and foreign language classes in school.
15. Teenagers have drama.  They just do.  All the time. About everything.
16. No 16 year old should ever drive a brand new car.
17. Leaving the comfort of home is a crucial rite of passage.
18. Church isn’t the only place to find church.
19. Words, written and spoken, are like magic spells. They can transform anything.
20. Sex can be exciting, weird, awkward, enjoyable and a mistake.   But it should never be scary or shameful.
21. Young adults think they know everything.  They don’t.  They need to think they do so they can learn for themselves that they don’t.
22. We can all learn from remembering what it was like to be young.
23. Traveling alone to new places is life changing.
24. Everyone should learn another language.
25. Drugs and alcohol can be easy distractions from self, but they will never fill the hole.
26. Some relationships are toxic.  Accept it, and move on from them.
27. Some relationships are simple and beautiful.  Identify them and hang on tight to them.
28. Falling in love isn’t so much like falling, but more like being lifted up.
29. Any artistic passion still requires self discipline to maintain.
30. Always give yourself the opportunity to be surprised.  Especially by your own strength.
31. When things get tough, sometimes running away is actually the best option.  But running away doesn’t mean you’ll escape.
32. Even a tornado can’t stop the people that love you from showing up.
33. Gardening heals the soul.
34. There is no formula for giving birth because it is as unique as a fingerprint.
35. There is no formula for being a mother because it is an ever changing journey.
36. Justice is not a universal aspiration.  It is a conscious choice we either make or don’t make.
37. Never stop learning and never stop loving.

Thank you to all those that have helped me learn along the way.  I am always grateful thinking of the love I’ve known so far in my life.  I look forward to adding more lessons to my list.

Cheers all!