28 Things

Friday I turned 28, which is extremely hard for me to believe, it sounds a lot older than I feel. Here are 28 things that I have learned in the past 28 years....





1. If you want most things done and done right, you really do need to take care of it yourself.



2. No matter which lane you decide, when you are stuck in many lanes of traffic and move over to the lane that seems to be the only one moving, it will almost immediately stop and you will not be able to get back into another lane.



3. Leave your windoes down and it will definitely rain, even if there is 0% chance according to the weatherman.



4. People change when they get married. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst, sometimes for neither but they always change.



5. It's almost impossible to stay in a bad mood when you are around someone in the 2-6 age bracket.



6. It's also almost impossible to go into Wal Mart or Target and spen less than $50. Even if you only have $10 worth of things on your list. And, forget that list, you probably won't even to remember to get the three things you have on that list.



7. Cell phones are the addiction that no one talks about. Ever try being without your for even one day?



8. If you want to change something about your life, you have to change it. The stories you hear and see about someone coming along and magically change your life and make it better usually doesn't doesn't happen. In fact, the odds are so low of it happening that you will waste a lot of years waiting and still not have anything changed. Just stop wasting the short time we have on this earth and change what you want changed!



9. Tivo or DVR will actually change your life FOR THE BETTER!



10. A great black dress and a perfect pair of black pants are worth almost any amount of money.



11. Spring for the room service breakfast when vacationing, it's totally worth it!



12. The $40 spent to have someone come cut your lawn is about the best $40 bucks you can spend.



13. Don't refer to anything in your past as "the best days of my life" always assume that your "best days" are in your future.



14. What they say about the sun is true. At 28 with the wrinkles of a 38 year old, I am wondering what good it did me to look so cute and tan at 18.



15. Cleaning is over rated. Don't miss out on anything that will create permanent fun memories to mop your floors.



16. Enjoy the little moments in your life. The really big moments are pretty rare....that's what makes them so big, so really most of your memory bank is filled up with the "little ones"



17. Your family is the most special. There will be a few friends who will become like family but most will just come in and out of your life, your family is always in. Don't make the mistake of waiting until it's too late to realize this.



18. There are no appropriate words to describe how blessed we are to be in this country. Everyone should have to either serve in the military for a time or go visit a third world country. Our history classes just don't do enough to make us understand or appreciate what we have.



19. Tip well. If you haven't ever had to be a waiter/waitress there are good odds that your children or someone else that you love will be. Tip like you want people to tip them.



20. Cry more. Laugh more. Sounds easy but it's not.



21. Keep your secrets to yourself. It is actually true that as soon as you tell anyone, they are no longer secrets.



22. Take risks. It's taken me the entire 28 years to learn this one. Not taking risks because you are afraid to fail just skips a step, you just go straight to failing.



23. Give the eulegies for the ones that you love now. Write them, call them, e mail them, somehow think of what you would say at their funerals or about them when they died and tell them. The best bet would be to write or e mail it so they could keep it. It's unbelievable how much more they will appreciate it alive than they will when they die. Actually, we have it all wrong the current way that we do it. Start doing it the right way.



24. Read your Bible. Seriously. It will actually change your life for the better.



25. Think of telling your children/grandchildren about your life. Now live it the way that tells a great story that you'll be proud to tell.



26. They're right about excercising. I mean it took me 28 years to believe it and I still haven't mastered it but I am now sure that it's true.



27. The few minutes that it takes to write a card, call, or visit an elderly person are the apsolute best that you can spend.



28. If laughter really is the best medicine then happiness is really the best prevenative medicine.






Thanks to all of you who have played a major part in the last 28 years of my life!



I do have to tell you about this particular birthday. I was just coming off the "downess" of the post Philippines trip and I was real stressed out about work. Not to mention, no one jumps up and down over turning 28! It started off by me cleaning my house, running errands, and going to the dr. Later though Ashley, Daniel, and their kiddos came from Mississippi (this is ecspecially important since they are leaving in less than a month for England for 3 years!), Brooke came from Phenix City, and some freinds from around town came to celebrate my birthday! I didn't get to enjoy it too much because I was SO tired (I had been up for almost 48 hours!) but lucky for me they were still here the next day! Thanks to all of you who helped make this birthday so great! The best of all probably came from the Philippines though! When I left earlier this month, I secretly left enough pasos for them all (the students, staff, and faculty)to be taken out for Halo Halo (the dessert that actually makes me want to throw up but they all LOVE!) and by the time I got up I had lots of emails from them talking about how much they loved it and how happy they were! How great is that! It was definitely the best birthday party that I never went to! Thanks to all of you who made the past 28 years so great for me!!!