Puddle Jumping

As a grown up, I realize that through the course of life I have learned many valuable lessons. Some of them were taught to me by my mom and dad. Some of them I learned in school and through experience. Many of them were taught to me by my aunts. Now, I am an aunt and my oldest niece recently started kindergarten. I know taht they say everything you need to know you learn in kindergarten. I disagree. I believe there are some things that one cannot learn in a classroom. These are lessons that can only be learned by living. So, here it is. A year's worth of tiny words of wisdom for all of the nieces and nephews out there, or really for anyone who will listen. They may not work for everybody and you may not agree with all of them, but each is a rule that I either try to live by or wish I did.

# 37 Jump barefoot in puddles

For the last three days in New York City it has been raining. All of the women on New York and even some men have adorned their rain boots, goulashes, and raincoats. Everyone is so concerned about getting their feet wet. On days like today, when the ground is covered with terrific puddles, and as I step in one I realize that my rain boot has a hole in it, I am taken back to the days of childhood.
When I was a little girl, my mom and I would always go walk around the neighborhood barefoot after a big storm. Don't worry, I am not encouraging all of NYC to start walking barefoot after a rain, but you should go somewhere once in your life where this kind of behavior is acceptable.
My mom and I would walk all over the neighborhood seeking out the best puddles. We would roll up our pants and go puddle jumping. We would splash and carry on like we were both children. We would laugh and squeal and every time we got to a really big one, we would take hands and count to three. ONE! TWO! THREE! JUMP! Sometimes we were having so much fun that some of the neighbors would come out and join us. I always looked forward to a rain, because that meant that mom and I could go jumping in the puddles.
No matter how old you are, child or child at heart, you can still do this. Go out after a rain on a warm day and jump barefoot in puddles until your little heart's content. I promise that it will, at least momentarily, make you forget all your worries. It has the power to make grown ups feel like children again, and to make children feel as if they never want to grow up.
Recommended reading: Jumping in Puddles by, Claire Allan

Always keep a...

As a grown up I realize that I have learned many valuable lessons in the course of life. Some of them were taught to me by my mom and dad. Some I learned in school and through experience. Many of them were taught to me by my aunts. Now I am an aunt and my oldest niece recently started kindergarten. I know that they say everything you need to know you learn in kindergarten. I disagree. I believe that there are some things that one cannot learn in a classroom. These are things that must be learned by living. So, here it is. A year's worth of tiny words of wisdom for all of the nieces and nephews out there, or really for anyone who will listen. They may not work for everybody, and you may not agree with all of them, but each one is a rule that I either try to live by or wish I did.

# 8 Always keep a journal.

A journal is a glorious thing to have. They come in many shapes and sizes. Leather bound, or spiral notebooks. There are also many ways to journal. Some do it every day. Some do it when they have an experience they just have to write down. Others make lists such as : bands I've seen live, cities I've been to, people I've kissed, etc.
So many things happen during the course of life. Things that planted in our memories and we think we will never forget them.Trust me,you will. Sometimes I leave a room and cannot for the life of me remember what it was that I needed. Perhaps you won't forget all of them, but some of them will fade and blur and eventually you won't be able to tell where one memory ends and another begins.
I have been an avid journaler for over a decade now. I am not always as faithful to my journals as I should be,and I have many different types of journals, but I always write down my experiences, good and bad. I have a record somewhere of all of my travels, all of my relationships, and almost every single fun thing I have ever done in my life. I want to be able to pass on my memories to my nieces and my children, should I ever have them, and my grandchildren.
If we are fortunate, a lifetime is very long and full of many experiences that shape us, and help us to grow. We cannot possibly be expected to remember them all forever.
Writing in a journal helps me to organize my thoughts, plan my next project, blow off steam, and gives me a record to look back at and laugh, or cry, or laugh because I cried. There is something so soothing about pen to paper, that I just can't find yet on a keyboard. Anyone who has ever been significant in my life, or any experience worth remembering, I guarantee that somewhere I have them written down. Give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen?

For journals, I prefer a simple leather bound journal such as the: Journal-tan by Eccolo

You are never too old to...

As a grown up, I realize that in the course of life I have learned many valuable lessons. Some of them were taught to me by my mom and dad. Some of them I learned in school and through expereince. Many of them I learned from my aunts. Now I am an aunt and my oldest niece recently started kindergarten. I know that they say everything you need to know you learn in kindergarten. I believe, however, that there are some things that one cannot learn in a classroom. These are things that must be learned by living. So here it is. A year's worth of tiny words of wisdom for all of the neices and nephews in the world, or really anyone who will listen. They might not work for everyone and you might not agree with all of them, but each is a rule that I either try to live by or wish I did.

#5 You are never too old to play dress up.

When I was little, my mom had a bag full of her old clothes. Some were vintage, which meant nothing to me at the time, some no longer fit her, and some were given to her as hand me downs and she never wore them. I remember this long, red polyester dress. It was always my favorite. She would bring me into her room when it was raining, or we needed a new activity, and she would open her closet and bring out the coveted bag of dress up clothes. She and I would spend hours putting on her clothes and pretending we were rich and on some exotic adventure. There were days when I am certain my mother had more fun playing dress up than I did. As I got older, and started school, we didn't have nearly as much time for dress up, but occasionally she and I would go out to lunch and we would both wear something crazy like a big hat, or a gaudy broach, "just to be spirited", she would say.
About a month and a half ago, I went home on little visit, as I try to do every six months. I spent the night at my sister's house and I had the wonderful opportunity to play dress up with my two precious nieces. After they, 5 and 2, insisted that I adorn this delightful gold sequened mini shirt, and some other fabulous fashion treasures, everyone was rolling on the floor laughing. I had so much fun with those girls that day. We played church and school and post office and dance class, and for every adventure we went on that day, we put on another glorious outfit. Princess dresses, pj's, hats, purses, gloves, scarves, etc. I had so much fun that day being 10 people completely different from myself. We laughed, and I almost had to be cut out of a 5 year old's dress up shirt, but it was one of the best days I've had in a very long time. You are never too old to play dress up.

Recommended product: Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk