49 Things I've Learned From 49 Years

 "God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well."  - Voltaire


I make a big deal out of my birthday.  I'm basically a toddler, telling everyone I meet, "It's my BIRTHDAY this week!"  I don't need gifts and I really don't want attention, necessarily.  I'm just happy to be here and I want everyone to know it.  This year, I've had more than one person say, "Oh, so you'll be 29?" They offer it up with a wink and a nudge because it's fairly obvious that I'm well beyond 29.  I respond quickly.  "I'm excited to be turning 49, actually!  Yay!"

49 years of living has taught me a lot.  I'm a lifelong learner and lover of self-improvement, so I take the lessons that God and the universe teach me to heart.  As I started thinking about 49 years this morning, I figured there are at LEAST 49 things I've learned about myself, the world, and others.

1.  Pants always fit better before they're washed and before you've eaten three doughnuts.
2.  Traffic lights turn slower when you're in a hurry.
3.  Along the same vein, you WILL need gas when you're rushing to get to an appointment on time.
4.  Laughing at yourself gives you more perspective than taking yourself too seriously.  Lighten up.
5.  Leaving cut-off aloe stems in a car smells like rotting flesh after a few days.
6.  Never walk a dog with a leash in your hand.  You can lose a thumb.
7.  Children will run after your car if you accidentally leave them in a Target parking lot.
8.  Don't wear flip flops on ladders.
9.  You are not likely to be discovered by a talent agent loudly singing "Love Will Keep Us Together" on a swing set in Granite Falls, NC.
10. Check your gas gauge on road trips.  The pedal won't work if the car is out of gas.
11. You can make your own yogurt inside your car using sippy cups, 2% milk, and a few hot days.
12. The Coke and 4 Reese's peanut butter cups you had for breakfast in your early twenties means an added 20 pounds in your forties.
13.  Kindness always feels better than meanness.
14.  Having a roaring fire in a wood stove feels warmer than turning on a thermostat.
15.  Chihuahuas are fierce and loving little creatures.
16.  The taste of Sundrop in a green glass bottle from a vending machine will stick with you at least 44 years.
17.  Saying nothing's wrong when something is wrong is self-defeating.  Ask for what you need.
18.  That sock lying in the middle of the hall will never pick itself up.
19.  Friends weave in and out of your life.  The love you have for them will never go away.
20.  Reading a paper on Sunday morning is a joy and a gift.
21.  There truly are blessings and gifts in every single bad thing that happens. Truly.
22.  As people age, what's inside them shows on their faces.
23.  Treat children like they are already the adults you want them to be.  If you want them to be kind, be kind.  If you want them to be gentle, be gentle.  If you want them to be violent, be violent. 
24.  You can never have too many blankets.
25.  It's a pleasure to come home to a tidy house.
26.  Every single day is a Great Adventure.
27.  We become what we think about.  That makes it a lot more fun to think about chocolate.
28.  Put yourself in other people's shoes.  Understand that most everyone you meet is doing the best they can with the tools they have.
29.  Forgive.  And then forgive again.  And again.  And again.
30.  Get outside of your comfort zone as much as you can.   Growth is uncomfortable and imperative.
31.  Your dogs will always love you more than you deserve.
32.  Celebrate the successes of your friends...even the little ones.
33.  Books are better than social media.
34.  Some of my most favorite pictures are the ones from inside my own head.
35.  Appreciate the beauty around you every single day.
36.  All struggles end.  New ones begin, sure, but the one you have today will be over in a little while.
37.  It's easier to deal with hard things when you can find the funny.  .
38.  Sometimes, you should eat dessert first.
39.  Coffee may be one of the world's greatest pleasures.
40.  Feel all the things.  You can't feel joy without knowing sorrow.  Dulling the feelings with wine or pills might not be the way to go.  But then again, wine is AWESOME.
41.  We are meant to raise our children to leave us and live their own lives.
42.  We are all selfish.
43.  Being lazy is sometimes exactly what you need.
44.  Driving fast is fun.
45.  I like gardening more than I like going to a therapist.
46.  No one ever thinks you're as funny as you think you are.  (Or maybe that's just me.)
47.  Singing and dancing makes cleaning the house more fun.  AND it feels like you're the star of your very own musical.
48.  Life should be more like a musical. 
49.  49 years is enough.  But another year would be a gift. A few more than that would be extra time to love, laugh, and have more Great Adventures.

Happy birthday to me!  And happy birthday to you, too.  What are you learning in all your years?