I had a birthday recently . A big one. To help me remember my big day, my youngest put “1/2 a century” in front of every noun – all day long. “Good morning 1/2 a century Mom. Are you enjoying your 1/2 a century breakfast?”
Wasn’t that super sweet of her?
But it got me thinking. Half a century IS a REALLY long time! In 1/2 a century I have discovered a few things that I believe will help make the next 50 a bit smoother. And I wanted to share these with you.
- Mama was right. By the time I realized this important truth I had kids of my own who don’t believe this – yet. During these moments I call Mama, apologize, and listen to her laugh. With three teens in my house, there are a LOT of these moments. For a more detailed history on my childhood and the gray hairs I gave Mama, feel free to read “O Mama, I Get it Now!”
- Taking care of yourself is worth the effort. Take that daily medication. Drink the water. Go on walks. Swim with your kids.
- Life is FULL of doing things you don’t feel like doing. Do them anyway. It starts when we are little with picking up our toys and making our bed. Then doing things like asking for forgiveness, finishing things well, and definitely putting up our shopping carts at Walmart.
- Trust your gut – don’t shush your gut. Pay attention when things don’t add up or when a situation doesn’t feel right. Those feelings are there for a reason.
- If we run from the brokenness we will miss the beauty. There is not enough bubble wrap to protect us from the truth that we live in a broken world. God uses this brokenness to draw us closer to Himself. He works in the brokenness to reach parts of our heart that would otherwise remain unchanged. And He weaves beauty in the brokenness that brings peace, joy, and makes us whole. It is the biggest mystery to me, and it is something only God could do.
- God is never surprised or caught off guard. When we feel like the rug has been yanked out from under us, we can rest in the truth that every single thing that happens to us is filtered through God’s loving hands. We can trust His plan for our life.
- God will ask us to walk through difficult times, but He never asks us to walk through it alone. He is with us every step of the way.
- Get the Breyer’s ice cream on a normal day. When I was a little girl, if Mama bought Breyer’s something special was coming up. Celebrate little things in big ways from time to time.
- We are made for relationships. We are born into a web of relationships and every moment of our lives are anchored in relationships. For my birthday, my mom gave me a photo album filled with pictures of places, events, and the people involved. My first boyfriend, the ONE picture of my running career (one race), the ONE page of my pageant career (one pageant), and so many silly pictures with friends. The most important part of each picture wasn’t the location or what we were doing, it was the people in the pictures.
- Nurture the friendships that refresh your soul.
- If God puts someone on your mind, pick up the phone, write the letter, and reach out to them. You’ll be glad you did.
- Surprise others with grace. There will be times when it is hard to love others. Those are the times when it is needed the most. There will be people who are difficult to love. Those are the people who need it the most. Showing grace when people don’t expect it gets their attention. After all, it is what God did for us. He loves us when we are at our worst, and draws us in with His kindness and grace.
I am thankful for the lessons learned and the years it took to learn them.
Now I’m going to go call Mama and hear her laugh.