Photo of two of my students on our nature walk on Monday
One of my favorite college professors & a woman I’ve known since Katie’s days at daycare days as Katie’s friend Quinn is Molly’s daughter wrote a profound thank you to those her wished her a happy 49th trip around the sun.
Here are her words:
I wanted to sincerely thank those of you who took time to post, call, message or spend time with me to celebrate my birthday! It truly means so much to me. Here are some of my bits of 49 year old wisdom; Some of the hardest things in life that you go through are things that make you come out a better person. It depends on your own approach and attitude towards life. If we look at the negatives, it’s going to be negative, if we look at the positive, chances are, we can come out and find a way to smile again. There have been so many examples in my life that I did not “plan” for. But there’s also been so many examples in my life that there could never have been a plan for, it’s really about perspective. My quote continues to be “take every opportunity this life has to offer”, and I would love to share that message not only with my family and daughters, but with everyone. In the blink of an eye, everything can change, in the blink of an eye, everything can be uprooted, in the blink of an eye your life might take you on a whole new pathway. Smile when you can, laugh, the deepest belly laughs as often as you possibly can, surround yourself with those who love you and those who understand you, through it all- the good, bad and everything in between. I always talk about the “4 quarters vs. 100 pennies; better to surround yourself with true and loyal friends rather than quantity (100 pennies)
Living a charade of a life or trying to perpetuate myths, and, pictures of what life “should” be is way too exhausting. I wish everyone the strength to step into their truth and be authentic and love the life they have in front of them. Surround yourself with challenges and deep conversations and people who drive you to do better, and think differently- people who accept you exactly as you are, but challenge you to keep on growing. Love your kids with every ounce of your soul and love them as they are. Forgive those who mistreat you and walk forward from them, doesn’t mean you forget but it means you won’t let anyone’s bitterness interrupt your life; healthy boundaries are crucial for a healthy life. Speak up- ask questions- believe in the power of what you have to say, while being humble enough to know there’s always more to learn. Love your parents, love your spouse or partner and see through their eyes so you can be empathetic to how challenging it can be to deal with you 🙃, love your friends/ if you’re fortunate to have a few true ones- love the heck out of them; be gracious and grateful and believe you are absolutely beautiful. Write your own story- not the story planted in us- write your own- page by page. No one has any idea what a person is going through- never make assumptions and don’t gossip. Talk about ideas, not people. Some peoples lives may look “easy” or “ideal”, keep in mind that we all have our own stuff and it’s a constant journey for every human. Rejoice when others win and feel empathy when they don’t. Never make excuses- own what you do and how it impacts people, good and bad. Avoid the “if-when” way of life- “if I have this or when I do this… then I’ll be happy or secure“, life is now, live it. Travel, read, learn, shake up your beliefs- and question where they came from. Took 49 years to even remotely understand and embrace my own advice and I’m still working on it all and always will. You can do things you never imagined you could. I have a long way to go but I’m grateful for every day I get.
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