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Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio



To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.



My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:



1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.



2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.



3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...



4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.



5. Pay off your credit cards every month.



6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.



7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.



8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.



9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.



10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.



11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.



12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.



13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.



14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.



15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.



16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.



17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.



18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.



19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.



20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.



21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.



22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.



23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.



24. The most important sex organ is the brain.



25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.



26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'



27. Always choose life.



28. Forgive everyone everything.



29. What other people think of you is none of your business.



30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.



31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.



32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.



33. Believe in miracles.



34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.



35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.



36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.



37. Your children get only one childhood.



38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.



39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.



40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.



41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.



42. The best is yet to come.



43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.



44. Yield.



45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."







Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

COMMENTS

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xxEmaeraldxx
19:35 Jul 22 2009

I like number 3 :) Very wise!

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SeleneTremere
21:01 Jul 22 2009

I agree. It's not productive at all.

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tourmalineblack
14:47 Jul 27 2009

Love these life lessons, the little things are most essential you could easily forget them.

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Mom drops dad off between 6:45 and 7:00am. This has been going on since Monday. He had surgery on his thumb last Thursday and he really can't do much of anything on his own.



The surgeon removed some cartlidge from his thumb and had to put some bone back in it. They removed bone fragments from his hip to put in his thumb. His arthritis was apparantly so severe that nothing short of the surgery was going to fix it.



The kids sleep till noon, so I'm not sure what kind of help they are to him, but he swears they wake up when he squawks on the walkie talkie that I left him..lol.



This morning, he came in and he's looking pretty chipper. The cane that he's using is in his hand but he tries to manage the step up without it.



Ok..I know my old man. He absolutely HATES that he can't be at his own house reading the newspaper, drinking coffee and smoking his Marlboros in his comfy pajama pants and slippers. He absolutely hates that he has to get dressed in the morning and mom has to haul him to our house for the day.



I asked him this morning how he was feeling. His reply? "You won't believe how great I feel! I told your mother I was fine at home!" I laughed. How will you do anything for yourself with your hand in a cast and your hip out of whack?



This man is so independant that he can't stand being pampered and catered to.



Jeesh...gotta love him..lol

COMMENTS

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xxEmaeraldxx
19:38 Jul 22 2009

You have your own troubles like I do. Parents ..why do they have to be so independently proud and just let family do things for them! My mum and your Dad would get along well!!

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SeleneTremere
21:04 Jul 22 2009

He's the best...I love him to pieces. But yes, he is most definately too proud for his own good sometimes.

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Only 9 days left until we leave for our camping vacation! I'm so excited, it's been a while since we've gotten away for more than a day, so this should be fun.



I'm told the Frio is nice and cold, now we just want it to be flowing well. Stagnant water is definately not good rafting water.



I'm making lists left and right and hoping not to forget anything. It costs an arm and a leg there, so I need to get most of what I need here.

COMMENTS

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xxEmaeraldxx
19:40 Jul 22 2009

Wow! it is not that long now.. but hey, I get away before you! lol :p

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SeleneTremere
21:02 Jul 22 2009

yes, and I have to say, if it weren't for the fact that I'm spending all my time with my youngest daughter and my husband, I'd rather be taking your trip..lol

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Speaking of wine coolers! I wanted to try something besides beer for a change.



I'm getting a little older, and I see changes in my body more vividly than I did when I was 20. Hell, I guess we all do.



I've had 4 kids and I still carry a little bit of each one of them on me in the form of a tummy. But lately, I've noticed that my 'baby fat' (hah!) has become quite a bit more than can be even laughingly described as that.



My husband says it's the beer. And yes, I do like my beer. On weekends, that's my drink of choice. We hang out with friends and/or go dancing..whatever the event or situation you can bet your ass it involves beer.



That's neither here nor there, I know, but I get a little winded sometimes.



My point was...I DO feel more bloated and heavier when I drink beer.



Last night I decided to try something different so I picked up a four pack of Seagram's Margarita wine coolers. I didn't feel the heavy, bloatiness, which is good. BUT, they kicked my ass. By 10, I was out like a light!



They were good, they were different, but I doubt I'd stick to them. Maybe I'll try a different flavor.

COMMENTS

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WiccanAngel
17:57 Jul 17 2009

The Strawberry Daquiri flavored ones are GREAT. They are my favorite.

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SeleneTremere
19:59 Jul 17 2009

They will be on the grocery list tonight! Thanks! lol

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Why is it? When I'm off, I'm up at like 6:30am and can't go back to sleep.



When I actually HAVE to get up at 6:30 to get ready for work, I can't drag my ass up out of bed!



Today the alarm went off and I guess I hit the snooze button. The next thing I know, I'm jumping out of bed and KNOWING I'm late for work! It's 7:27 and I still have to wash my hair!



I don't know why I can't manage to drag my butt out of bed on work days.



Some would say there's a hidden meaning there. I don't hate my job. I actually like it a lot. I don't like everyone I work with, but hell, who does? Is it my subconscience? Could it be the three Seagram's wine coolers?



Who knows~

Sometimes Life can be so petty. I think this is a test for some of us.



Are we strong enough? Do we have the guts to keep going?



Why is it that the little things in life that you aren't supposed to focus on, sometimes seem like the only thing standing in your way?



I walked away for a while because I was tired of the petty things. I walked away because it seemed like that's all there was anymore.



I'm stronger than that now. I'm having fun now. The apple that knocked me over the head made me realize that this is nothing. THIS is just what it is.



Life is so much more than THIS. I hope that sinks in to others.



Time to have fun and enjoy what's been handed to me.

COMMENTS

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Sinora
10:13 Jul 17 2009

Amen to that !

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Dear Diary:



May 30th: My husband and I just moved to Texas from up

North. Now this is a place that knows how to live!!



Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. What a place!

Watched the sunset from a park lying on a blanket. It was beautiful.

I've finally found my home. I love it here.



June 10th: It’s really heating up. Got to 100 today!

Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an

air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun

every day like this. I'm turning into a sun worshiper.



June 14th: Had the backyard landscaped with western

Plants today. Lots of cactus and rocks. What a breeze

To maintain. No more mowing the lawn for us! Another

Scorcher today, but I love it here.



June 30th: The temperature hasn't been below 100

All week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least

it's kind of windy though. But getting used to the

heat and humidity is taking longer than I expected.



July 10th: Fell asleep by the pool. (Got 3rd degree

Burns over 60% of my body.) Missed 3 days of work. What a

Dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though. Got to

respect the ole' sun in a climate like this.



July 15th: I missed Morgan (our cat) sneaking into the

Car when I left this morning. By the time I got to the hot

Car for lunch, Morgan had died and was swollen up to the

size of a shopping bag and stank up the $2,000 leather

upholstery. I told the kids that she ran away. The car now smells

like Kibbles and shits. I learned my lesson though. No more

pets in this heat.



July 20th: The wind sucks. It feels like a giant blow

dryer!! And it's hot as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the

fritz and the A/C repairman charged $200 just to drive

by and tell me he needed to order parts!



July 21st: Been sleeping outside by the pool for 3

Nights now. $1,500 in house payments and we can't even

Go inside. Why did I ever come here?



July 22nd: It's 105 degrees. Finally got the

air-conditioner fixed today.. It cost $500 and gets

the temperature down to 85, but this humidity makes the

house feel like it's about 95. Dumb repairman peed in my

pool. I hate this stupid city!



July 23rd: If another wiseass cracks "Hot enough

For you today?" I'm going to strangle him. By the

Time I get to work the radiator is boiling over, my clothes

Are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!



July 24th: Tried to run some errands after work. Wore

shorts and sat on the black leather seats in the car. I lost

two layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs. Now my car

smells like burnt hair, fried ass, and baked cat.



July 25th: The weather report might as well be a

recording: Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's

been too hot to do anything for two months and the

weatherman says it might really warm up next week. How can it

WARM UP when it’s already 1000 freakin’ degrees?

Doesn't it ever rain in this desert?? Water rationing will be

next, so I might as well watch $1700 worth of cactus just dry

up and blow into the pool! Even the cactus can't live in

this heat!



July 26th: Welcome to HELL!!! Temperature got to 105

today. Forgot to crack the window and blew the windshield out

of the car. The installer came to fix it and said,

"Hot enough for you today?"



My husband had to spend the $1500 house payment to

bail me out of jail.



Dang the South! WHAT KIND OF A SICK DEMENTED PERSON WOULD

WANT TO LIVE HERE!?!??!!





She's a wimp at 105!

COMMENTS

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blessedemo
23:06 Jul 22 2009

Poor morgan :(

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