Life Lessons

I was reading something yesterday about friendships and letting people go.  We've all had those friends that ..... try....us.  And tons of people look at those friends after a certain occurrence and say that they just can't do it anymore and they let that person go.  They "wash their hands of them", so to speak.  They find a way to shut that person out of their life and pretend they never existed...saying "I don't care what happens to them."  Some people can do that...I can't.  Most who know me know that I'm not the "letting go" type.  I can't just shut a person out of my life, no matter what has transpired in the past.

The reason  for this is because I hold people close to my heart.  Whether a close friend, a significant other, or just an acquaintance, people mean a lot to me.  Every person that has touched my life has taught me something....how can somebody just let go of that and pretend another human being never existed?  I even still care about my past boyfriends....not because I'm some weird creeper who just can't move on, but because I genuinely care about who they are now and what they've made of themselves.

All this got me thinking about people in my past.  What surprises me the most is how many lessons I've learned from people in my life, especially those lessons learned from people other than family. I've learned a LOT of lessons from a lot of people over the years.

My friends from high school taught me...

Popularity doesn't matter....the quality of people you choose to surround yourself with is what matters

No matter what, there's ALWAYS time for creativity...art, dance, and music are in all of us

There's no shame in being book-smart (and it's OK to whine about not getting all the extra credit on a Mr. Manly test)

Be yourself, all the time...don't waste your time on being somebody else...that person sucks anyway

Being a mean girl is no fun and often times ends up hurting you as much as the person you hurt

Love who you love...we're all just people....same as everyone else...religion, race, and gender aren't recognized by the heart

Hold your friends close, for you never know when they may leave this life

In college, my friends taught me...

Judgments you passed in high school have no place in the real world

Girls don't pay for their own .... herbs

The person you thought you were and the goals you thought you had can always be changed

It's a perfectly natural thing to have more than one "love of your life"

Even each of my relationships taught me something...
The boy in high school who I was so enamored with (because I still couldn't believe that he picked me) that I was too terrified to kiss him for fear that I didn't know how taught me that when you sit back in your fears instead of being brave and just going for it, you end up losing something that may (or may not) have been great.

The boy I met through friends at work the summer before my senior year of high school taught me that sometimes its OK to break rules...that this life we have can only be lived once and sometimes you've just got to do what you want, with who you want, without fear of the consequences.  He also taught me that Savannah is way more fun without parents...and a movie and cheeseburger from Huddle House are the perfect ways to unwind from a busy night scooping ice cream for the masses.

The brother of a boy I worked with taught me that there is a difference between breaking my parent's rules and flat-out disrespecting my parents.  He also taught me that sometimes the bad boy isn't all that bad and standards can be changed from "I would never date a guy who smokes" to "yes he smokes, but that's not who he is...that's just something he does."

The boy I dated for three years after high school taught me that the grass is not always greener on the other side...and once you go looking, just to check it out and see for yourself, you've changed and can't come back.  He also taught me that hurt, deception, and mistrust are two-way streets...so don't dish it out if you can't take it.  Heartbreak is a hard lesson to learn...it's even harder to learn once you grow up and realize that you did the breaking first and the outcome was ultimately your fault and you should never have behaved the way you did...not during...not after.  This boy humbled me and taught me to get over myself.  He also taught me that its OK to play around and have fun, even when you're an adult.

The man I married has taught me the most about myself than anybody else.  He has taught me that I matter.  He has taught me that I'm STRONG.  That no matter what life throws at me, I will find a way to persevere.  I have the ability to push through even the hardest of circumstances and come out on the other side.  I may be slightly weathered and beaten when I come through it, but I will come through nonetheless!  He has taught me to trust in myself and in my abilities.  He still can't manage to teach me self-esteem, but he tries...often.

Pay attention to the people in your life, folks.  

Those people are teaching you things without you even realizing it.

You'll see it one day...just you wait and see!