34...

Today marks the end of my 34th year.

Without any particular eloquence and in no particular order…34 things I learned in my 34th year:

1. Nothing else matches the peculiar joy of seeing your husband in a monk’s robe, in public.

2. SUVs are overrated – unless you require three car seats, which I no longer do.

3. Lifelong friends can be just that….if you let them.

4. “If you never know truth then you never know love.” –The (great philosophers) Black Eyed Peas

5. My sons are adopting their father’s sense of humor. Triple hilarity for me.

6. Time does heal. Jury’s still out on whether it heals all.

7. Sending your last child to school changes everything.

8. Oh, be careful little fingers what you say.

9. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” –Proverbs 4:23

10. Rome is amazing. Where can we go next?

11. Hard work brings satisfaction but workaholism is an unpleasant binge.

12. Confession brings healing.

13. Seven year old girls can be quite sassy. And fun.

14. Hardship breeds compassion.

15. Coffee is delicious. How did I not know this before?

16. When gale force winds strike, I can cling to the tree trunk of my heritage. A blessed soul anchor.

17. Bacon and eggs every Sunday does the body good. So does p90x.

18. If you want it to die, stop feeding it.

19. Isolation. Just say no.

20. Passion is not the highest order of love.

21. I like a small house.

22. Kindred spirits can be found in the most unexpected bodies.

23. I do not have to wallow in the backwash of my own stupidity.

24. Social media is no replacement for deep friendship.

25. The secret to icing a 3-layer cake is frozen cake.

26. The greener grass on the other side of the fence tastes very bitter.

27. When your reality turns out to be illusion, you’d better have something Truly Real to run to.

28. Everyone hurts. Everyone wants to be loved. Everyone needs to hear that they are valuable.

29. Temptation is a treat on a hook. It goes down easy, but comes out hard.

30. I enjoy heat. This is not new. I could say it every year.

31. Bambu in Springfield, MO has the best fried rice ever.

32. “Trust, grace and forgiveness are the true measure of a man’s fortitude.” –Richard W. Browne

33. I cannot. But God can.

34. I have Hope.