40
A lot is going on right now and I’ve not had much time to write. I had a birthday this week and it got me ruminating. Here’s some of what I’ve learned in my 40 years. (Some of these say “you,” but they all mean “me.”)
1. clean something every day, even if it’s only your hands
2. read to your kids; it is food for life
3. mothering well is largely a matter of knowing what things to get excited about, and what not to
4. wine is wonderful
5. smiling makes you feel good and it’s free (sometimes I forget this one)
6. make a place for butterflies and birds in your world; you won’t be sorry
7. stuff is only stuff; it all wears out eventually
8. beware of modeling beeswax in the laundry
9. tell your story, but don’t get so caught up in telling it that you forget to live the next chapter
10. children are resilient; however, test this only with careful discrimination
11. make your own meaning, don’t swallow anyone else’s
12. read poetry; read everything
13. when you fuck up, breathe, and then start over
14. being married to your best friend is ideal
15. try new things every day
16. exercise is good for me even if I don’t like it
17. fashion is stupid—occasionally fun, but stupid
18. it feels good to help people
19. somehow, time can both fly and drag—at the same time
20. words can indeed hurt
21. onions and Brussels sprouts are actually delicious
22. sing more, dance more
23. be your own beautiful freaky self out loud; if you don’t you’re cheating everyone
24. avoid the pink aisle and boys need dolls
25. sometimes the best course of action is to set it on fire
26. vote
27. gardening is cheaper than therapy
28. feminism benefits everyone
29. art is important, and more important to make than to consume
30. boys are actually sweeter than they want you to think they are
31. love and kindness is all the religion I need
32. equality for only some is no equality at all
33. find your cause; better yet, find a dozen of them and get to work
34. miracles are everywhere and often go by the names of “humanity” and “nature,” “life” and “science”; as such, they are no less miraculous
35. making it often feels better than buying it
36. I cannot “do all the things”; nor should I try to
37. a whole lot of things that bother me today won’t matter a bit tomorrow, so I should just chill
38. I am still learning
39. friendship is as necessary to me as air
40. my ultimate career goal is still philanthropist
June 18, 2012 at 4:27 am
Happy birthday! What a milestone. A beautiful post, your wisdom has put such a smile on my face.
June 21, 2012 at 11:44 am
Thank you, Ola. You’re very kind!