36 Things I Learned Along the Way — at Thirty-Six

Author’s Note: there is no instruction manual for this, so buckle up and enjoy it. Also, wow ABC, NO Black people? NONE?! Couldn’t gimme at least one Tonja?! Sheesh.

I turned thirty-six in January …whoop-dee-freakin’-doo! I’m a few months late, but my not-quite-old-enough-to-be-GenX-but-too-old-to-be-millennial self got to pondering and said “self (because third person vibes are what thirty-somethings should give off), what do you think you’ve learned in your thirty-six years?” Well, frankly, a bunch. So much so, I tried to condense my learnings into a listical of thirty-six. I know, so inventive. So, here are my thirty-six things for you to carry close to vest whenever you want to get into a screaming match with the Burger King lady for forgetting to include two syrups in your pancake meal (I’MA SEE YOU AGAIN, BRENDA!):

1. I call this, “alternative medicine”: hugs. smiles. laughter. love. voicenotes. “Just because” letters, texts, postcards, phonecalls, emails, voicemails — tell people you’re proud of them, you love them, you see and hear them, you understand them, you’re proud of them. Keep being present.
2. Some post-apocalyptic life tips: care about things. Care about people. Learn new things. Relearn…