Quarter-Life consolidation

I am sitting on the couch in front of my beloved laptop thinking, desperately thinking of a reason to celebrate. You see I just poured myself a class of bubbly. I wanted a glass of wine to go with my chocolate but there was no open bottle so I settle for a piccolo of Champagne that has been sitting in the fridge since my baby was born. I am drinking it out of the only Champagne flute I own which is oh so tackily decorated with glittery hearts and a big number 18; a memento from my 18^th birthday.

Queue my favorite CD refusing to play. So I’m forced to go and get the only CD’s that don’t live in the garage. An old CD wallet from when I was 18. Maybe 18 is the theme here; except I celebrated my 18^th 7 years ago. I am turning 25.

Yes I am ‘still young’ and yes I am often told I am ‘old for my years’. The essence of it though is that I have made more mistakes and navigated more emotional minefields than some twice my age. Here are my humble observations and lessons hard won from the past quarter century:

1. I feel much better when I sing out loud
2. Less is more
3. I am not defined by my resume, address, job, family, my body or anything else
4. Flaws are beautiful. Curves are sexy
5. You don’t always get what you want; which is great because what we ‘want’ usually isn’t what will make us truly happy
6. Life is too short not to eat chocolate
7. Its not daggy to love old music; ok it is but I don’t care
8. Unless a single look from your man makes you feel secure; he isn’t the one for you
9. Fixing the world isn’t my responsibility. Tending to my corner of it is.
10. Cooking is easy once you know how
11. I always have a choice
12. ‘hating’ isn’t helpful
13. Our parent’s did the best they could; just as I do for my son
14. Friendship is a priceless gift and its worth working for
15. I always have enough money but sometimes I spend it on the wrong things
16. You never see yourself for what you are; that comes with hindsight
17. No-one is a mind reader. If you need it or want it ask!
18. There is no ‘right way’. There is however ‘my way’
19. Experience is truly the best teacher
20. If everybody likes you; you’re probably not really being true to yourself
21. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing
22. There is a difference between judgment and discernment
23. Fears are tissue paper thin. Once you do it you wonder what you were afraid of
24. Time doesn’t heal all wounds. Forgiveness does.
25. Sex is definitely better than chocolate; I don’t care how good the chocolate is

I will probably disagree with many of these in another 25 years and laugh at my youthful naivete. We’ll see.