40 and counting...

 Today happens to be my 40th birthday. Im not exactly where I hoped I would be in life. I do my best to be grateful for what I have, because there are people who have much less, struggle more, and go to bed hungry. I imagine they aren't where they thought they would be either...

    Over the years, I have done some really stupid things. Interestingly enough, those stupid things led me to broader horizons.I can only hope my greatest achievements do not come from the insipidly dumb things I do. That would be irony, no? But it would be inline with the way the rest of my life is going.  I look to the future with squinty eyes and a brave hope for better.

     I have learned some very important things over the years. Sometimes I forget what I've learned, and need the lesson over again. Its never a pleasant thing, either. So here is a list to remind me, and maybe to save you some heartache down the line.

     * Foremost is to never take someone you love for granted.
     * People will never forget words spoken in anger.
     * Mean what you say, and keep your word.
     * The cruelest thing you can do is make someone doubt themselves.
     * No one ever lies for the sake of another's feelings, no matter what they tell themselves.
     * The people you love in your life are more important than your sense of righteousness. " Is it better to be right, or to be in love?" ~ Lewis P. Hicks.
     * Forgiving doesn't  mean you have to forget, it means you have to let it go.
     * People will change, if you allow it. The trick is figuring out whether it's a change for the better.
     * Truth is your best friend. It's easy enough to get along with if you accept all its faults.
     *  "I'm sorry." doesn't fix anything past the age of 14. Better to be careful with your actions and words, than to have to live with them the rest of your life.
     * A person's heart is not a toy. Treat it with dignity and respect.
     *  If you can't be honest, be quiet.
     *  The best thing about this world is the people in it, and they are irreplaceable. Stuff is just stuff.