Like many of you, I’ve spent a little time reflecting on this past year. There were many highs. But also many things I’ld rather not repeat. Isn’t it interesting though how it is the “bad” (or in this case just the unpleasant things) that become the teaching times, laughable moments and shaping influences on our lives?
To that end, without being too serious, fifteen things I learned this year:
- If you take a Greyhound bus, you don’t need to arrive at the station an hour early like you do the airport.
- Everyone should take the Greyhound once in their life, but that’s it. (For more on why see this post.)
- Renewing your vehicle registration on time is key to avoiding exhorbitant fees and your car being impounded.
- Renew your passport six months earlier than the expiration date says or you will be sweating bullets the night before a trip out of the country not knowing if said passport will be accepted.
- Heat emitting off five sweaty teenage boys can fog your car up so bad that you have to pull over to the side of the road with the windows down.
- Math is the bane of our family. #sorrykids #badmathgenes
- Eradicating pantry moths take a good solid month. It requires lots of elbow grease, and leaving your pantry items out on the counter the whole time.
- Don’t buy major appliances all at the same time. They will most likely need replacing all at the same time too.
- Getting sick three times over three consecutive months showed me I have lacked compassion when husband hasn’t been able to shake his frequent sicknesses.
- Age forty-five is when the effects of aging sets in – worsening eyes, sore muscles, less energy, failing memory.
- Never trust the weather in Oklahoma. I’ve known this, but got a reminder after perfectly arranging all the decorations for the Face Time book release party only to have to quickly take it all down and move it inside because of a crazy, unexpected, short-lived wind storm.
- Book writing in the summer, and editing deadlines at Christmas is something I hope to never do again.
- Figuring out how to record, edit and release a podcast made me realize hosting one is not for me. (My daughter is so sad about not getting to co-host one with me- kidding!)
- I can hang better than I thought in a household of all males.
- Almost 20 years into parenting and it only gets harder.
What did you learn? What are you looking forward to?
I’m ready to say goodbye to 2017 and see what 2018 has in store!
