on twenty-five lessons...

I know, I know. I'm not exactly twenty-five yet (two days away!) but I've had this post floating around in my head for the last few days (and didn't know if I'd have time to post it on my actual birthday). As I usually am around this time each year, I've been busy looking back on what I've done and accomplished and lived up until this point. And as scary as being halfway through my twenties was starting to sound, I think I'm okay with it now. I'm beginning to like the idea of it, actually.

So, here it is! A list of twenty-five lessons I've learned thus far in life:

1. Your family will always be your family no matter how many miles are between you, sisters are some of the greatest inventions ever, and there's something about a hug from your parents that will always feel like home.

2. No matter how old you get, it always feels good to use your imagination. And nobody should ever make you feel bad about that. (Unless if you insist on channeling Harriet the Spy on a daily basis, because that's never a good idea.)

3. Hurtful comments, the number on the scale, fashion magazines and ex-boyfriend's Facebook pages are things that should be paid much less attention to in life. As important or interesting as they seem at the moment, they really aren't as important or interesting as you think. I promise.

4. You never know when and where you'll meet the people who end up being the most important. So, be friendly. And smile a lot.

5. It's okay to be a "good girl".

6. Don't always try so hard to blend in, that you lose what makes you who you are. If you are is a girl who would rather stay in, then stay in. If you aren't a cutting-edge fashionista, it doesn't mean you have no style of your own. If your idea of a fun night involves Scrabble, reality television and sitting around in your pajamas, then do it. Embrace it. You'll learn that people will respect you for that.

7. It is always a good time for wine.

8. You're never too old for stuffed animals. (You may reach a point where you shove them under your bed when people come over, but still. They matter.)

9. Treat people with respect, encouragement and an open heart. It's not always easy, but at least you'll know you made the effort.

10. It's true what they say about finding the person you will spend the rest of your life with. You just...know. With every inch of your being. And even on the bad days, you still feel it at your core - and that's what matters most.

11. Anything is better with copious amounts of cheese.

12. You're braver than you think.

13. You don't need to wear high-heels and lipstick to be sexy. Some of the sexiest people I know have a simplicity and purity about them that is more than anything you'll find on the cover of a magazine.

14. First kisses are absolutely amazing - but so is realizing you're with the one who will receive your last kisses, and all the rest that fill the in-between.

15. It's completely acceptable to buy yourself a present every now and then, make pasta after midnight, jump up and down on hotel beds, have a good cry when you need it, and still be in love with Taylor Hanson, thirteen years later.

16. Macaroni and cheese always tastes better re-heated the next day.

17. It's so incredibly important to surround yourself with people who have the ability to bring out the best in you. The ones who inspire you, encourage you, help keep your head on straight, give you a shoulder to cry on. These are the ones that matter. Anyone who doesn't bring out the best in you, perhaps isn't the best for you.

18. Never run through someone else's yard at a high speed without first checking for barbed-wire fences.

19. Learn to enjoy your own company.

20. Make time for what it is you love to do. Even when you feel like you don't have enough time. It is always worth it.

21. You're probably prettier than you think, admired by more people that you realize, and smarter than you give yourself credit for.

22. Don't ever go out with the intent of getting drunk, because you may just end up spilling every secret you've ever had (even ones you didn't know existed), curled up asleep in someone's hallway, chasing wild bunnies on a college campus, or, at the very least, un-tagging yourself from a bunch of Facebook photos.

23. There will always be something about Disneyland fireworks that make you feel like you're eight years old. (And maybe make you cry a little, too. Which is just fine.)

24. Being married to your best friend is better than any wildly romantic fairy tale anyone could dream up. There's something about being with someone who can always make you laugh, who you can be crazy with, who you can be honest with, who you know will always be there to say, "I love you more than you'll ever know."

25. Everyone has their time to shine. Even if yours hasn't come yet, even if you feel incredibly unimportant or invisible - there is a time that you will be seen, you will be admired, and you will shine.