Life Lessons

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer- Cleveland, OH

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.

No surgery… :)

As of yesterday no surgery is scheduled. He is in a cast…bright green and hot pink!!!! Very interesting to say the least! He will be in this cast for 2 weeks and then we will see how his growth plate is healing and then it will be determined what the next step is…either a surgery will be scheduled at that point or another cast or a walking boot for 6 weeks. So only time will tell. We have him on some AdvoCare products to help him recover faster!

Today we are cleaning. And I have a meeting tonight with AdvoCare!

We are home…

We took off last week for Branson, Mo. FOR a much needed get away. We had a great time with family. We actually for another reason,we thought my little sister was going to deliver her baby, which did not happen while we were there, BUT did happen last night. Baby Jack was born around 11ish. And I can’t wait to meet him! He has a head full of black curly hair!

We did lots of fun stuff while in Branson. Like the Magic Show and we even got back stage passes to see the BIG cats that they use in the show. That was pretty cool.

We went to Silver Dollar City

We swam

We relaxed

I attended a service with the speaker Christine Caine from Hillsong. Which was Amazing. I will have to post a whole other post on that. It really touched me and really what I needed to hear.

Then right before we left, my oldest took the golf cart out to pick up something from our cabin and lost control and hit a light pole. Pretty bruised up, a fractured foot that might require surgery, and a deeply gashed leg. It was God’s grace he did not have head injuries. So we spent Sunday afternoon in the hospital and then got home to see our doctor. And we see the Ortho Surgeon today.

Next week my in laws come to watch our children while me and my husband attend Success School with our business. Which I am so pumped about. I can hardly wait. We have a great team of people going with us. We feel blessed.

Unreedemed…

Selah will be releasing a new CD soon. There is a song on there that has really meant a lot to me.

Unredeemed
The cruelest words
The coldest heart
The deepest wounds
The endless dark
The lonely ache
The burning tears
The bitter night
The wasted years
Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are…
Places
Where grace is
Soon to be so amazing
They may unfulfilled
They may [...]

Tonight…

All I can say is I miss my sweet Krystina. It is a void that only the Lord can fill at this point. I really really missed praying with her tonight. That was such a sweet time with her and kaitlyn. They said the most sincere prayers…that were precious beyond words. So that is where [...]

Almost one week…

Tonight I painted. That is what I do when I stress…paint. Before we took Krystina and Kim in we were in the process of remodeling our home. We put most of that on hold in order to really give the attention to Krystina and Kim. Now that they are gone. I am in a painting [...]

Peace

You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3
Lord,
My mind is steadfast on you Jesus and I have complete trust in you! I ask you to continue to use us in ways that we did not expect to be used. Keep our hearts always open. Show us every step [...]

Favorite Restaurant

Tonight we went to our favorite mexican place for dinner and I lost it when we sat down with our food. It was just so weird to not have Krystina with us. It was one less spot to fill, one less high chair, one less plate of food to order. One less little voice talking. [...]

New Chapter

Well, It has been a long few weeks. We have kept most stuff under wraps for the sake of my sanity!
We started our adoption of Krystina after the last family had to pull there name out due to her becoming so ill. And the dr. recommended to us to adopt her our-self. [...]

RollerCoaster

Our family has been under a rollercoaster! I have not been able to post. But I am going to tomorrow. It will be long. So stay tuned, for some BIG updates on our family!