List 10 tips from things I have learned the hard way for the next generation

6. Travel every opportunity you get. Don’t put it off for tomorrow. Don’t put it off until you can do it more luxuriously. Go when you are given the opportunity. The experience is worth the inconvenience of a crowded plane ride or a long bus ride or the heat or the cold or the bad food. See the sights, meet the people, learn the history. Try something new while you are there. Don’t spend the whole time in front of the hotel TV ordering room service.
7. Take lots of pictures. And make copies. And share them with your family. Make sure that you are in the pictures. Your family loves to see you having fun.

3. Forgive everyone for everything. Leave the past in the past.
4. Spend plenty of time with little people (children under the age of five). They will keep you grounded.
5. Don’t compare your life to other people. Don’t get wrapped up in ENVY and chasing the almighty dollar. Your life experiences, your connections with people, MATTER. I watched everything I owned go up in smoke during a terrible house fire, and all that mattered was that my family was safe and well. I couldn’t even remember what was burning.

2. Pray. No matter what you are facing, there is always someone that will listen. Someone who loves you unconditionally. Never forget that. Give Him all of your troubles. Give Him all of your heartache. Give Him all of your worries. He is stronger than you can imagine.

I was very lost for a long time – but once I turned my face to heaven and asked for help, I felt restored. God has seen me through tremendous challenges.

Okay, my first tip:
1. Save, Save Save!!!!! Pennies, nickels, dimes. Hold on to a rainy day fund. Don’t rely on someone else to bail you out (credit cards, mom/dad, husband, etc) Don’t get over your head in debt, or it will rule virutally every other decision you make in life.

I don’t think I was as profound as others have been, but I gave it a good shot.

Your doctor is, hopefully, a well-educated professional who deserves your respect. At the same time, if a doctor is unhelpful, doesn’t have time for you, can’t answer your questions in a way that you can understand or just doesn’t seem to care, then it is your right to politely bring up these issues. If you can’t get a resolution, move on to another physician.

I want to tell you all about one of the most romantic things I’ve ever witnessed.

It happened after my father-in-law, Mr. Terrierhead’s father Milton, passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. He and Mr. Terrierhead’s mother, Carolyn, are among the few people who give me faith in real love and marriage. They were wild about each other, even after being married for more than 35 years. Milton did the flowers and jewelry thing for Carolyn for holidays, but the two of them generally stuck to budget type gifts and took pride in getting each other fun gifts that cost as little money as possible. Those gifts of jewelry tended to come from discount stores and still have the tags on for easy returns. So, it doesn’t sound like Milton was much of a romantic, does it?

Milton was a military man for more than 20 years while Mr. T and his younger brother were growing up. Very early in his career, he told Carolyn that if anything happened to him, there was a special briefcase for her to open. Over the years, he reminded her of the briefcase every once in a while but didn’t say much about it.

When Milton died, all of us were in shock, especially Carolyn. Milton had been a healthy, active man who took excellent care of himself. No one was expecting what happened.

Carolyn found the briefcase right away but couldn’t bear to open it right away. When she did, she found all of Milton’s life insurance and pension information, as well as important paperwork for dealing with his military retirement and other practical matters. Believe it or not, that touched my heart more than I can say. He took one of life’s hardest tasks and spared his wife from having to do it.

But it was the other item in the briefcase that really blew me away. On their honeymoon, Milton had written Carolyn a note on the stationary from their little honeymoon hotel. It was short and very very sweet, and he had never shown it to her before. That forethought, and the ability to plan so far in advance to give one last little bit of sweetness brings tears to my eyes every time I think of it.

Sometimes an important realization comes easily.
Does that make it less significant?

We need to honor the things that are close at hand as well as those that are hard-won.

I have faith that despite all the horrors and tragedies of life, life is still worth living and saving.

I am not going to tell you what to have faith in. After considering the whole truth, that’s a conclusion you must reach for yourself. I wish you a luminous life of truth and compassion.

Live as if you will die today, and at the same time, live as if you will live forever. What you do, and do not do, has infinite effects through infinity.