Twenty-One Things I Learned by Age Fifty

1. Money cannot buy everything, but it can buy peace of mind. Work hard and smart to earn, save, and be frugal.

2. Love is not simply when they mean everything to you; love is when you mean everything to them.

3. Emotional pain hurts worse than physical pain and takes longer to heal.

4. Elastic is one of the greatest inventions of all times.

5. You are going to make mistakes. Laughing over your mistakes is healthier than crying over them.

6. You cannot expect people to support you if you are not supporting them.

7. Anger will fade if you give it time and do not obsess over it. Forgiveness helps.

8. Serenity is knowing that the good does not last forever, but neither does the bad.

9. Nobody can do it better than you.

10. Palm tree leaves are pretty but they have spikes that sting like a wasp and penetrate deeply.

11. Moderation is the best approach to most anything.

12. We all have selective memory.

13. Meditation and prayer work wonders, even if you are an atheist.

14. A smile and an expression of gratitude can make someone’s day.

15. Children do not just want attention they need attention.

16. Breast fed children are not necessarily better adjusted or healthier.

17. Today is tomorrow’s yesterday.

18. Don’t regret the past nor wish to close the door on it.

19. I feel more like I do now than I did before.

20. A wise young man will be a wise old man, this not to imply that a wise old man was a wise young man.

21. Virginity is like a balloon, one prick and it’s over.

Filed under: The Grandmother Journal Tagged: age, fifty, lists, thoughts on aging, wise