Growing up, I watched my mother go through her life as if it were a journey. She raised six children with a strong but gentle hand (and a switch from the tree next to the house). She scrimped when times were bad and rejoiced when they were not quite as difficult. She praised God and encouraged us all to do the same (some of us got it, the others not so much). She loved a husband who was, for the most part, a difficult and demanding man but also one who took care of her until the end. And through it all, she never lost her sense of humor, her faith or her positive outlook. Mom never gave me advice on life and I often wish she had so that I could have avoided a lot of mistakes in my often delusional youth.
So, with two grown daughters of my own, I feel compelled to give them the benefit of my oh-so-worldly experience so perhaps they can avoid some of my biggest blunders. They’ll make enough mistakes on their own without repeating mine. That being said, I came up with several pithy, somewhat noteworthy (I think) thoughts I believe could guide them on this sometimes disastrous but mostly rewarding road we call life.
Number one on my list, my angels, is put your life in God’s hands and trust him to lead you forward. You’ll have to listen closely to avoid missing his council as the world is noisy and misleading but you’ll be glad in the end that you did. Can you do it without him? Certainly if you want to but I wouldn’t advise it. All that will get you is a lot of missteps you could have skipped and a very long, hot eternity. If you listen to nothing else in this message, listen to this.
Second, learn from my mistakes but don’t let them color your world black or become jaded as I have. Not all men are abusive. There are plenty of them out there who are decent and respectful to women. Long before you were conceived, God had your husband chosen for you (honest, it’s in the Bible). All you need to do is listen and He will lead you to the one you were meant to be with. If you pick a man with your hormones, trust me, this too shall pass. And know that my marriage was not all bad. It’s just that sometimes weakness leads people to poisons that they shouldn’t indulge in and that, in turn, leads to collisions that could have otherwise been avoided. But in the end, I was gifted with you and for that, I would do it all again.
Don’t wait too long to realize your passion and move forward with it. Life sometimes gets in the way and something you were meant to do gets pushed aside. Do not let this happen. God has given each of us a special gift, a talent that we are not supposed to squander. Find it, use it and don’t let it sit idly in your subconscious. My passion is writing and I’ve waited a long time to realize that it’s what I should have been doing all along. I might not be good at it but the words that have been in my head for all these years need to come out and be written. So, ladies, get off your butts and find your passion.
Treat your children as what they are, a precious gift from God. When they frustrate you, realize that you will laugh about it someday when they are grown and you need to use it to embarrass them. When they cry, hold them close. Some day you will wish you still could. When they laugh, laugh yourself silly with them. They are such a joy even in the darkest times so realize that and embrace the experience. Life has taught me, the hard way, that you never know how long you were meant to have them and you must never miss a day of the paradise that is your child.
Now that I’ve gotten all of the mushy, teary junk out of the way, I guess I should add some practical, yeah-right stuff in here so…don’t drink excessively and never drink and drive. Never smoke and avoid eating yourself into obesity. Mind your elders; they really do know more than you. Don’t drive too fast for conditions and always watch for black ice. And, most importantly, know that chocolate really is a cure-all. Might I suggest Harry & David Moose Munch Bars?
And this, my precious babies, is what I have learned in my vast experience so far. Take it to heart or tell me I’m crazy. But, at the very least, read it. Just sayin….
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