I have learned, in my short 47 years, that some things just are.  Some people just are.   I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a religious person.  I prefer to think of myself as somewhat spiritual.  Even though I am not religious, per se, I do like to think of the Serenity Prayer-when I need it.  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  There have been plenty of times in my life when I could have changed something and did not.  There have also been plenty of times in my life when I did not have the wisdom to know the difference between things I could and could not change.  Hell, there still are plenty of those times!  It doesn’t matter how old I am, I am constantly learning.  Currently, the lesson is that Mothah was right, again.  I did grow up and have one who is just like me….. This is not the most fun lesson to learn; however, I think I am doing a pretty good job dealing with things.  I decided to write this post, in hopes that it might help somebody.  As an adult and parent, honestly, there is nothing I would change or do differently.  As the teenager that I was, there is a lot.   The first thing I would say is please don’t do it like I did…. YOU don’t have to! *Don’t lie. Nobody likes a liar, and it takes years to build back trust.

*Say NO to lots of things and people–even if you think you are going to miss a good time.

*If that ‘little voice’ in the back of your head is whispering it’s not a good idea, it’s NOT and DON’T.

*Give up the hard-partying during the week.  Your job is to go to class and do homework. Nobody has asked anything more than that of you, and believe me, it’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.

*Don’t run from problems, run INTO them head-on with a solution.  If you don’t have a solution, you can bet your ass that your parents do.  It might not be the solution of your dreams, but it will be better than the alternative, and I can promise you that.

*Get your degree the first time-on your parents’ tab! PLEASE! It is SO much easier if you just go ahead and get ‘er done.   AND, regardless of what your inexperienced teenaged ass thinks, you NEED that degree to live.

*Everybody makes mistakes.  Pick it up and move on.

*Opting-out of life is NOT AN OPTION.   That’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.  THERE IS SO MUCH LIFE TO BE LIVED!!! SO MANY GOOD TIMES AHEAD!!!

*Love yourself enough to do the right thing.

*Appreciate the things you have.  There are so many people who wish they had what you do!!!

*Don’t give up.  Ever.  You can’t. It’s not an option.

*Respect your talent.  You have it for a reason. Use the shit out of it.

*YOU ARE SO VERY LOVED that there is no way for you to understand how much until you have a kid of your own.

And, if all of that is not enough, then I give you my personal favorite.  My stepfather said this to me many times. It has got to be one of the wisest things he ever said:  TRAVEL AS FAST AS YOU CAN STAND FOR YOUR ASS TO HIT THE WALL!