1. Be yourself. “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Don't listen to people who try to make you into something you are not. Go against the current.


2. You are better than no one and no one is better than you. “A person's a person, no matter how small.” It is important to remember that no matter how big your wallet becomes that without someone willing to pick up the trash we would all drown in our own waste.


3. Care deeply about something other than yourself. Our world is self centered. It's all about what can I do for me. How can I get ahead. Promise me that you will take time to realize that IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”


4. Life is less about what happens and more about how you react. "I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” Don't sit around wallowing in self pity. Take action. If you don't like your life, change it. If you don't like your job, do something else. If life deals you a bad hand, play it through the best you can.


5. Make your own path. Don't be a follower. Be a leader. Don't settle. "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go."


6. Don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh a lot. Make friends with people who bring out the best in you. “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”


7. Never stop reading. When we read we stimulate parts of our brain that can't be touched any other way. It helps us to learn better, to communicate better and to just be better. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”


8. Life goes by pretty fast. To paraphrase Ferris, if you don't stop and look around you might miss it. Remember that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Live in the present. “How did it get so late so soon?"


9. There is someone out there just for you. Don't worry if it takes awhile to find them. You'll know when you do. “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”


10. Keep your eyes open. Opportunities are all around you. “You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut"


11. Life is a series of memories. Some will be good. Some will be not so good. The important thing to remember is that without these memories, without these experiences we wouldn't be the people we are today. “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"

No matter where life takes us, I will always be your number one fan. I love you, Middle G. Happy Birthday!!!

Dear Oldest G,

It's that time of the year again. 

The time of the year when I reflect on how fast time really does fly.  The time of the year when I try not to think of all the things I've probably done wrong as we journey through parenthood together.

It's the time of the year when we celebrate the day you came into our lives and changed everything.

At 2:25 a.m. you will officially be a teenager.  I don't think I'm ready.  The thought makes me feel old.  I can't possibly be old enough to have a teenage daughter.  Can I?

While I was certain last February that you would be taller than me come your 13th birthday, I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm just a little bit glad that you're not.  Granted, we are eye level and the likelihood that you grow taller than my 5'2 frame this summer is strong.  For now, I'm holding on tight to that last little reminder that you are my baby.

Those sweet wispy curls are all but gone.  Those chubby cheeks have vanished.  You seldom call me mommy, though every now and then it slips out.  Your voice is no longer childish and is often mistaken for mine.  Sometimes I am bewildered by how quickly your body went from child to young adult. 

It is hard to believe that in five short years you will be leaving for college.  There are so many things that I am looking forward to teaching you and so many things I am afraid of your learning.

I look forward to teaching you to drive, yet I am afraid that once you learn you may no longer want to come back.  I look forward to meeting the boy that wins your heart but fear you may have to have it broken a few times before you find him.  I've imagined your graduation.  I've seen your wedding.  In my mind, I've held your baby.

My advice to you is to savor the little things because that old saying about them being the big things really is true.  Visit the ocean whenever you can.  Put your feet in the sand.  Eat cheesecake.  Laugh as often as possible.  Surround yourself with people who feed your mind and your soul and avoid those who don't. 

Find something you love and learn how to get paid to do it.  If that's not possible, continue to do what you love even if you can't make a living at it. 

Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.   You might be surprised where that will take you. 

Will you accomplish all you set out to do?  The odds are against that but don't get discouraged.  Maybe what you thought was a wrong turn was just a different path.

Most importantly, always treat others they way you want to be treated, even when they may not be treating you that way.  Remember that you are better than no one and no one is better than you.

All my love,

Mom