Saturday, August 15, 2009

45 Lessons

The following was written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, for The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25 No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27 Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Friday, August 7, 2009

My Perfect Day

There was a lady I used to work with that would proudly say her favorite day of the year was hands-down her birthday. No question about it. To me, that was amazing as so many of my own birthdays have been, shall we say, less than stellar.

At least, not until this year.

It started out as any other day... getting up just before my alarm goes off, getting ready for work and so on. You know, The Usual Thing. There were no cards or banners or little notes tucked anywhere for me to find, so I thought to myself, "Here we go again..."

But then again, maybe not.

As I slipped behind the steering wheel of my car, I found a birthday card from DH. Not just any birthday card either. It was a birthday card dripping with sweetness and lovey-dovey-ness and [insert a huge smile here] a wrapped dark chocolate Dove bar. SCORE! Be still my birthday-girl heart!

Let me tell you, nothing... nothing... could have wiped the grin off my face from then on. I was one happy camper. And, the cool thing was, my day just kept being great. I had the usual birthday treat of my co-workers singing "Happy Birthday" and getting balloons and candy... made all the more special because my friend 'B' happened to be in the lobby and was able to join in with the singing. I got a Harley Davidson mug with a tootsie-pop bouquet tucked inside from one of my BFFs... with the craziest colored suckers I've ever seen to boot!

It was a really great day at work. All the work went smoothly, customers came in specifically to wish me a happy birthday. It was just... well, perfect.

When I got home, DH and DD sang to me and presented me with a double batch of rice krispy treats (which is what I wanted in lieu of a cake), the Harley Davidson jacket I'd thought was still in special-order shipment la-la land... and a pair of diamond earrings! Can I hear an "Amen, Sistah!"??? Yep... I was in present nirvana...

I checked my Facebook page and had birthday wish after birthday wish waiting for me. Cool beans. And one of my dearest friends EVER was online and I got to chat with her. Awesome. We were even able to make plans to spend a girl's weekend together. Un-freakin-believable!

While I was finishing up online, I got a call from the local florist making sure I was home for a flower delivery. You betcha!

Seriously, can this day get any better?!

So, then DH, DD and I decided to spend the rest of the day hanging out in the 'big city' just south of us. First, we went to the hardware store for something DH needed, and I saw the bright yellow watering can I've been daydreaming about all summer... the last one on the shelf, I might add... and so I decided to splurge (with it being my birthday and all) and went ahead and bought it. Next, we had to go return some items at another store, and I found two books that I'd been wanting... and bought them as well. So, while I was on a roll, I had DH take me to a media store thinking maybe I could find one other book on my wish list... and I did. And another one I'd forgotten about wanting... and it was even marked way down. So I brought both of them home with me, too.

I swear, at that point I felt like I'd drank an entire bottle of Felix Felicis or something. (That reference won't make a bit of sense to all you non-Potter heads... sorry!)

Then, out of all the places I wanted to have my birthday dinner at, the one place I was craving was... McDonald's! I know it sounds crazy, but since we don't have ready access to one where we live, it really is a guilty indulgence... so that's where we went.

After we got back home, I got calls from my brother, my sister in law and my mom. It was great visiting with them and telling them all about my day.

DH and I topped off the day by taking a ride on our Harley with our neighbors. The weather was wonderful, the company was even better and the sunset was glorious.

And that was My Perfect Day.