Monday, February 18, 2013

...it only took 41 years :)

The most important thing I have learned over the past 41 years...well...really the past 35 years...because quite frankly I don't remember the first 6 very well...and in those years the learning to walk, talk, feed myself, wipe myself and all are probably THE most important life lessons...but after that...the most important thing I have learned is that the idea of something is so very different than the actual doing of something. The concept runs the gamut from our idea of another person and their life, to the idea of a specific activity and what will happen if you partake in it. Before going to college, the idea of going to and getting through college was daunting, but once you hit the ground running, you just do it. Even while going through college, during the semester, the idea of going home for the summer was devastating. Then you get home and realize it's wonderful. But then when it's time to go back to school, devastation can set in again. This is apply, rinse, repeat. You would think one would learn :) Finding your first "real" job. Talk about daunting right?! But you do it and it's not at all what you thought it would be like. Before having kids. "HA! No way! I'm never having kids! I'm too selfish to have kids. I can't even take care of myself never mind a child." After having kids, you can't even remember what life was before them. (well...maybe you remember, and it was F-U-N fun...but no way near as rewarding...right?! ;) Or as you're planning your family: "I'll never let my kid eat that...or do this...or talk like that..." We all know once the kids arrive, it's best to pick your battles and you find yourself less judgmental of the mom in the grocery store giving their kid a lollipop at 8am! ;) I don't know how many times I've said: "Ha! There's no way I'd do THAT!" And maybe it's a day, a week, a month or even a year later I find myself doing just "THAT!" And not just doing "THAT!" but absolutely loving "THAT!" So the most important lesson I've learned over my lifetime, is quite frankly my favorite...and it's one that I just realized during the last few weeks of my 41st year: stop say "No" and in it's place, start saying "We'll see".

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