in two days, i turn 35.

usually around this time of year, i have an annual grump about how old i feel. but even though i am definitely on the wrong side of the thirties now, i am making an effort to be more positive – on that note, i am totally stealing this idea for a birthday post from charlotte.

35 things i have learned:

1. it really is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.

2. everything teaches you something, if you allow it to.

3. sometimes, you get what you pay for. can openers are not worth skimping on.

4. at any given place in the u.k. you are never more than 72 miles from a shore (thanks, “life in the u.k.” test!)

5. quality over quantity really matters when it comes to friends

6. everybody’s got their something.

7. the world is a very small place – i am separated from other people and cultures by far less than i ever would have guessed.

8. the metabolism really does a nosedive after you hit 30.

9. everyone should have one semi-impressive “go to” recipe that they love and have mastered.

10. life with a pet is 10,000 times better than life without one.

11. wine gives me headaches. to the extent that it’s not even worth drinking it anymore

12. i think, at 35, i may finally be over the whole “being born on christmas sucks” thing.

13. relationships are work – but anything worth doing is worth doing well.

14. writing is important. writing is the act of creating history.

15. electric showers are a very, very bad idea. you only need to experience the bizarre sensation of being gently electrocuted whilst shampooing your hair *once* to be completely freaked out by all electric showers ever after.

16. you really can live very happily with very little *stuff*.

17. that being said, i miss owning furniture.

18. art is what makes us human. everybody has a bit of artist in them somewhere. too few people are ever encouraged to find it.

19. you never really ever do completely get over having your heart broken.

20. being kind is more important than being right.

21. i am never right as often as i think i am.

22. to say “i love you” is to make yourself vulnerable… but you should still say it. say it first, say it often.

23. kids are amazing, fantastic creatures – and yet there are still children that grow up without families to love them. that we allow that to happen is our single greatest failing as a society. the foster care system is a crime against children.

24. “marriage” and “wedding” are not synonymous. in fact, one has very little to do with the other.

25. we all need to be heard.

26. there are two kinds of people in this world: people who “get” running, and people who don’t.

27. touch is so important that babies can die without it. hugging, kissing, touching are all ways to stay alive.

28. never order from a menu you can’t read.

29. the first cigarette you ever smoke is the stupidest… except perhaps the one you pick up after you’ve already been quit.

30. money doesn’t grow on trees. people should learn how to handle money in school – it’s more important than learning french.

31. coffee is elixir of the gods.

32. the body is an amazing machine – but treating it well and truly appreciating it are struggles for most everyone.

33. 99% of people in the world all want the same thing – a better future for their children. while we may disagree on how to go about achieving that, there is more that unites us than divides us.

34. 99% of people in the world are good. no matter what the news would have you believe, there is really very little to fear.

35. understanding is the weapon. empathy is the antidote. hate cannot grow in the presence of tolerance. love is the only thing that matters on this shiny little marble. it is the truth behind every major religion, it is the only thing that gives meaning to life, it is the most important thing to cultivate, and the most abundant gift you can give. love is all.

and there you have it. 35 life lessons i have picked up along the way. maybe i have earned these grey hairs after all

tom cochrane – life is a highway

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