What have I learned as an adult?

1. That life is long. Whatever crisis you are in at the time, when it feels like the world is caving in on you, remember the old saying, "This too shall pass". Just have patience.

2. That you can't change people. They will be who they are. Either accept them, or move on.

3. That even the people who "seem to have it all" go through the same stuff you do. Whether they have problems in their marriage, are insecure about their looks, etc. These things are UNIVERSAL, not yours alone.

4. Best friends are hard to find. If you are lucky enough to have someone you can trust with your life, guard and nurture that friendship with every fiber of your being.

5. People can change. Only if THEY want to. And only if they work at it every day.

6. Every year DOES go faster. I'm not sure why, but it's true. If you have kids value your time with them, because in just a blink they will be grown and gone.

7. The most important qualities in a marriage are commitment to the relationship and patience with one another. Don't be so quick to throw in the towel when things are going bad. Every marriage is like a roller coaster, you just have to hang on.

8. Don't marry your high school sweetheart. People need time to grow, change and realize what they want out of life. You are never the same person at 18 that you are at 30. Take your time and experience life.

9. If a dog likes a person, they are generally okay. Dogs have an innate sense of good and bad. Trust your dog.

10. That you now understand why your parents did some of the things they did. You may not have liked it at the time, but as an adult you begin to understand their reasoning.

11. Gifts are not so important. As a kid, Christmas and birthday gifts seemed like the most important things, now you realize that it's the people, not the presents that matter. It's just stuff.

12. That kids WILL repeat things. If you don't want someone else to hear a story repeated, watch your mouth. Same goes for foul language.

13. That you need to take time for yourself. It doesn't matter what it is, but it is vitally important to schedule some time just for YOU, to do something you LIKE to do.

14. Styles never truly come back in fashion. There is always a new twist when something comes back around. If you don't wear it, get rid of it. It's just taking up usable closet space.

15. A hug is a powerful thing and sometimes the best feeling in the world.

Learn more about this author, Ann Rose Spencer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Testimonies: What I have learned as an adult ?
We want to hear your view. Write now!