Things I've learned...

I've done some thinking lately.
I see things on FB, hear things from friends and co-workers, and I wonder if they are learning anything while going through life. I've made a list of a few things I've been able to take away from life's lessons in my short 34 years I've been given. I'm certain there will be more to add to this list as the years go by:

~ The hardest times in your life are those that make you the strongest.
~ The best friends you have in life are those who are there for you during those hard times.
~ True friends really don’t care about your weight, the amount of money you make, the clothes you wear or the kind of house you live in.
~ Sometimes relationships are tested. That’s because there is a reason for every relationship – be it for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
~ It’s ok to cry.
~ It takes a lot of courage to admit when you’re wrong – and even more courage to say “I’m sorry”.
~ We sometimes unintentionally hurt the ones we love.
~ A child’s love is one of the best forms of unconditional love I have experienced.
~ Missing someone never goes away.
~ There’s more to celebrating life than on holidays and birthdays. Every day is a gift and should be celebrated and cherished.
~ It’s never too late to reconnect with God.
~ Sometimes just listening is all someone needs from you.
~ No matter what your “job” is…you are there to perform to the best of your ability. If you scrub toilets for a living, there is no shame in that. At the end of the day, you want to go home knowing you’re the best darn toilet scrubber there is!
~ Regrets are things we have because hindsight is always 20/20. Learn from those experiences and move on.
~ Living in the past won’t get you anywhere in the future.
~ It’s perfectly ok to take time out for YOURSELF.
~ That being a kid in school is tough. I wish I could get through to some of them and give them the knowledge I have now.
~ Family is SO important – even if it’s family you choose, not family you’re given.
~ You need to learn to say “NO” once in a while.
~ Trying new things at any age in life is a good thing.
~ Since you only get once shot at this time on Earth, make it worthwhile.
~ Becoming a parent is something that cannot be explained. It’s something that’s only understood when experienced.
~ The little people in your life really do look up to you, even if they don’t act like it.
~ It’s ok for people to look at you like you’re crazy. You’re enjoying life more than they are!
~ Laughter is one of the best medicines.
~ “Girl time” is good for the soul, and I’m convinced it’s something guys won’t ever understand.
~ Weddings touch my heart and are something I’m passionate about.
~ The only instruction manual for your children is the one you write based on your own experiences. Bringing home baby for the first time without an instruction manual is scary!
~ Lying is ones’ way of trying to protect themselves from learning about who they really are.