27 Things I've Learned

Tomorrow is my birthday, or by the time I finish writing this it will be today and I can't stop thinking about how much my life has changed over the past few years. I've learned a lot and have had to make a lot of choices. Some have been good, some bad, and some are ones I hope to never repeat. Every night I look at Camilla as I'm laying her in her crib and I think about the life she has ahead of her. I think of all of the choices she'll have to make, the joys she'll have, and the heartbreak that will inevitably come with life. I pray that she learn from the mistakes that I have made. So, for her, and anyone else who is bored enough to read...here are 27 things I've learned so far in my young life (although today it feels old. I'm in my late 20's EEK!)

1. The more impatient I get, the more God makes me learn to wait. 
2. I should have never taken that 2 year break from college (yes, I know you told me so mom and dad).
3. Life is really hard. But it's also really great. Trials will come but they come for a purpose. When I can remember that, they become much easier to deal with. 
4. I've realized that God gives us MORE than we can handle. The old saying "God only gives you what you can handle" is false. If God only gave us what we were capable of, how would we learn and grow? How could we possibly know how much we are actually capable of if our limits are not tested?
5. I never knew how fast I could move until I thought Camilla was choking on her own spit. I was like The Flash. Seriously. Moms gain instant superpowers. 
6. I've often thought about how "unfair" life can sometimes be. There is not a day that goes by that I don't miss my Uncle Rudy. Or think about how unfair it is that I got to spend so little time with my Grandma Esther. But if there's one thing I've learned from Harry Potter, it's that "The ones who love us, never really leave us." Thank you Sirius Black.
7. No matter what you think, you cannot change another person. They need to want change for themselves. So, no matter how many times I yell at John for leaving wet towels all over the place, he'll still leave them wherever the heck he wants to.
8. Music is a cure-all. No matter how down I am feeling, a good Michael Buble song will always lift my spirits. 
9.  I always thought the idea of soulmates was bologna, but I've started to realize that maybe I've been wrong all this time. No other man would ever put up with my crazy shenanigans unless we were destined to be together. 
10. It's scary to think that the classics when we grow up could contain the likes of Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, and Kanye West. How embarrassing will that be? 
11. I never knew exactly how much I loved John until I saw how much he loves Camilla. It's the craziest thing. My heart melts each time I see him kiss her forehead or make her laugh.
12. Just because you're "pre-approved" does NOT mean you should go ahead and get that credit card. Lesson learned.
13. A very smart woman once told me "one day when you have one of your own, you'll know exactly what it feels like..." Mom was right. I know. And I'm sorry for every tear I may have caused.
14. On that note, it is NEVER too late to apologize. My stupid pride caused me to lose two years of friendship with someone who I love dearly. I wish I would have apologized earlier and made things right with her. Thankfully, she's not as stubborn, proud, dumb, (fill in the blank with whatever adjective you want) and she mended our friendship in a way I probably could not have. You know who you are and you've taught me a very valuable lesson. I'll never be able to repay you for that. 
15. Our timetable is usually not on par with God's timetable. No matter how much I think I know or how right I think I am, God knows more and He is probably more right than I ever could be. 
16. And God probably has an incredible sense of humor.
17. No matter how bad you think you have it, someone always has it worse. Be grateful for what you have and don't dwell on what you don't have. That attitude will stop you from enjoying the blessings you already have. 
18. Being right is not as important as being nice.
19. A wise man once told me, "Don't worry. You will figure it out like you always do." He's right. I should have that tattooed on my forehead. 
20. Saying "Calm down" when someone is angry, doesn't work. Silence does though. Just ask my sister. 
21.  Plan your life all you want, those plans will almost always fall through.
22. The grass may not always be greener on the other side, but if you never take risks, you'll never know. 
23. My job has taught me that life really is too short. It's so cliche but enjoy every minute that you have with your loved ones. You never know what could happen. 
24. A long shower at the end of a rough day, will almost always make you feel better. Just wash away all the crap that you were thrown that day.
25. I took for granted the time that John and I had together before he worked nights. We'd usually spend the nights doing our own thing and not spending a lot of time together. Now, I'd give anything to have that back. DON'T waste that time. 
26. Positive thinking can literally change your life. If you focus on how crappy your life is, you will only see the bad. Take the time to look for the good and your whole outlook will change. This is something that I need to remind myself of quite often, but it works, every time. Just laugh away your sadness.
27. My life has not in any way turned out the way I planned, and I couldn't be any luckier.