I’m 65, and I have arrived! Well, I’m almost 65 as I write this column, only a day or two until my number changes. I am going to celebrate my age.  Many women do not like to announce their age, but I feel I have earned the right to celebrate those 65 years. It takes a lot of living to get this far.

I’ve learned important lessons over the years.

Remember those books, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff?” They give good advice but I was never good at following the advice of others. I still sweat the small stuff.

Discipline your kids. Your teenagers may dislike you for a while, eventually they decide maybe you know something about life. You might have to wait until they are 40 for them to figure that out. They might even thank you.

Wrinkles on the outside don’t matter. You get them from frowning, laughing and living life. It’s the wrinkles on the inside that need tending to.

Learn to laugh at yourself. A life without mistakes is a life not lived.

It’s easier to forgive then to forget.  If you can forget and forgive, it is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself.

A plant without water dies.

Some of the most unconditional love you get in your lifetime comes from the furry creatures you own. We can learn from them. They stretch when they wake up, they nap anytime, anywhere, and no matter what you do, they always love you and forgive you.

Giving and receiving a gift is more about the feeling then the gift itself. It is the thought and the heart behind the thought. Cherish each gift you give and receive, it is more than the package.

Ask for help if you need it. Being stubborn usually leads to more problems and consequences.

When passing the collection plate in church, hold on tight, dropping it makes a noise that the whole congregation hears and it’s hard to find all those small coins rolling around the floor.

Remember your first kiss as a teenager. It will never happen again. Cherish the feeling.

Never eat or drink anything strange that someone else hasn’t tried first. That way you know the outcome.

There is no manual or degree for studying to be a parent.  You did the best you could with what you had. Your kids will understand once they become parents.

We do many things we had to do, whether we liked it or not, to put food on the table. It may have been a good or bad experience but we learned something valuable each step of the way.

Life is hard. Occasionally it is hard to make lemonade out of the lemons.

Take the time to cry, it cleanses the soul. If crying carries on to morning, reach out for help so you can once again become whole.

At 65 it is time to come into our own. We have earned the right to be who God created us to be. We can chase our dream whether it is to sit in a rocking chair, or soar high above the ground on roller coasters. The valley’s might be high or low, but we have experience to navigate the road if we remember to draw on that experience, and know that through the highs and lows of life we traveled to get here, we survived.

I am sure as I progress in this life I will learn more, make more mistakes, suffer valleys and climb the mountains. I will not know if I am up to the task until it is presented to me.

That is my wisdom for today, don’t listen to what I say

I very seldom follow my advice, it is only meant to entice

You to find your way, 

It’s your wisdom that will carry you through to another day.

 

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send email to her at hermionyvidaliabooks@gmail.com. Her Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/julie.