Ten Things I've Learned (Plus Two)

Limited by time this week (and preparing to leave four children and their busy lives at home with grandma for five days while Kevin and I are in Florida), I’m posting a list I wrote a few years ago. Prompted by my wise friend Becky to share ten things that I’ve learned—from the simple to the life-altering—I pounded out this list in about 10 minutes. With a few more years of living behind me, I’ve made a few additions. Here are some of the things I've learned:

1. I moved 18 times before my 18th birthday, and I learned that it’s good to be flexible, even when it hurts, and not to get too attached to your stuff.

2. When I was a senior in high school, I found out that my parents “had” to get married, and I learned that I’m bad at math and that the consequences of your actions follow you the rest of your life.

3. I am still close to at least one friend from every place I’ve ever lived, and I learned that friendships mean the world to me.

4. I witnessed the 1992 L.A. riots firsthand, and I learned that I prefer to watch breaking news from my couch and that perhaps I wasn’t cut out to be a journalist.

5. I married the best looking man I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I learned that not all blond jocks are what they appear to be.

6. I wrote 100 pages of a novel, and I learned that published novelists deserve the money they make.

7. Although I’ve never met another person with my name, I do share my name with a town in New South Wales, Australia. I haven’t really learned anything from this, but it’s still sorta cool.

8. I inherited close to a half-million dollars from a sad drunk, and I learned that God can choose to bless and provide for us any way He wants.

9. For three hours, I tried unsuccessfully to push my first baby out, and I learned the definition of unconditional love, even when someone is hurting you badly. I also learned that planned C-sections are good. Very good.

10. I’ve held the hands of two people as they died, and I learned that although I fiercely love life, I’m not too afraid of death.

11. I’ve discovered how important the poor, the oppressed, the widows and the orphans are to God, and I’ve learned that I cannot live the same.

12. I delivered a stillborn baby, and I learned that the promise of heaven is somehow even sweeter when you know you have a child waiting for you there.