30 Days of Lists 15

Lessons Learned

• I've learned, first and foremost, that God never gives you more than you can handle.  Even during dark days (and I know my definition of dark could be very different than yours), I know I have the strength to deal with whatever it is.  I come from good stock; my mom has been through so much in her life and survived it all.  She left her home in Poland at age 7 or 8, lived in Siberia, Africa and England, and then relocated to the US when she was 21. She has lost her mother, her father, her sister and her husband, and is estranged from her other sister (Mom is on the receiving end of the estrangement, not the cause of it). If I can be 1/2 as strong as she has been, I'll be just fine.
• I've learned that no matter how nice I am to someone, they don't have to be nice to me.
• I've learned that I can be the best friend in the world, but I can't force someone to be my friend in return.
• I've learned that you don't have to talk to someone every day or see them more often than once every ten years or so for them to continue to be one of your best friends.  A real friendship can go the distance, both in miles and in years.
• I've learned that I have a very strong work ethic, and although I can goof off with the best of them, I am proud of the job I do and I don't ever want to do a bad job.
• I've learned that I can put up with a lot from children, but the two things I can't tolerate are being ignored when I call them, and whining. Ask my niece and nephew:  they heard "Answer me when I call you!" and "No whining!" a lot while they were in my home.
• I've learned that I have value, that I'm better in many ways than I've ever given myself credit for being (and I sure don't intend that to come across as arrogant - I'm not the most self-confident person in the world and it's taken me a long time to recognize my worth - I think this is pretty common for everyone).
• I've learned that I do have some artistic talent, even though you can't compare it to my sister or my father...
• I've learned that I have an awful lot to learn!