On turning 25

For my 25^th

I wanted to do something to mark the time.  25 years on Earth, a quarter century, surely I have learned something in that time?  So I wrote down 25 “lessons” as they came to my mind.

1.    Crying is a signal that can bring people to your aid.
2.    When at first you can’t walk forward, try, try again.
3.    A new addition to the family is a cause for excitement.  Even if you later learn it means you have to start sharing your room.
4.    Grandma make things special.  And pudding is the best thing.
5.    If you have to pee, go to the bathroom.
6.    Doing what you’re told means you get desserts.
7.    Books are awesome.  So are the Boxcar Children.
8.    If you can convince your younger brother that your stuffed animals are following you around and are hungry, you can eat pieces of his cookie for them.
9.    Family reunions have the best spread of food.  And, (I have cousins who can back me up here), the girls’ fort was always the best.
10.    Temper tantrums do not get you want you want.
11.    If you ask for one more year of childhood, you might get it.
12.    Nutri-grain bars are not a replacement for chocolate chip cookies.
13.    The tuba is the best instrument.
14.    The first kiss is just as exciting as you thought it would be.
15.    Sometimes “best friends forever” friendships don’t last.
16.    It’s easier to be yourself in the dark.
17.    When it’s time to move on, you’ll know.
18.    Care packages mean a lot.  So do parents who will drive 3 hours just to pick you up for a visit home.
19.    When it feels like you’re floating through life and nothing in the world could ever go wrong again, you might be in love.
20.    Sometimes things you think will be hard are at once harder and easier than you thought they could be.
21.    Being able to drink alcohol doesn’t make you an adult.  (But what does?)
22.    If you haven’t given up, that means that you still believe that the answer you seek exists.
23.    Sometimes you don’t get to decide what you want.  Sometimes you just know: this will make me happy, and you have to go for it.
24.    Life changes in unexpected ways.  Life changes you in unexpected ways.
25.    The more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know.