Struggle is just part of the process. It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong or you’re dumb. It’s a key element of how we all learn.


11



Know the difference between an inconvenience and a tragedy. Hint: If it can be fixed with money or effort, it’s probably not a tragedy.


15, 20



“Success is liking who you are, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” - Maya Angelou


13, 15, 21



Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a Negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride." - Anthony Bourdain


18, 21



Worst thing in the world is spending your life with the wrong person.


21



If you want to know what girls like, read the books they’re reading, watch the shows they watch, etc. Porn is entertainment *not* education. Movies books and shows marketed to 12 year-old boys get it wrong most of the time, can’t learn anything from them. Chick flicks is where you’ll find a little instruction on how to flirt in a non-creepy way, how to kiss, how to be in a healthy relationship. Study the difference between the male gaze vs female gaze.


14



Don’t waste your life’s purpose worrying about what other people think about you.


12, 15, 21



Jazz in the Garden free outdoor concerts at National Gallery of Art. Fridays during summer months.


7



Theme this year: Self Control (Repeat every year until age 99)


6



Spend time with people you admire, in person and biographies, documentaries, novels and movies.


14-17, 21



Be kinder than necessary.


9, 15, 21



“The flower does not dream of the bee. It blossoms


15



Resentment is a sign you are giving too much and are in need of replenishment. It’s a good example of how even the “negative” emotions are on your side, interpreting your experience in the world.


16, 18, 21



School shootings are a result of blind rage and complete hopelessness. First, ban the f*cking guns. But we need to teach our kids how to handle big emotions. To expect them, how learning to navigate them is like learning to fly an F16. It will be tough, yes but you will learn how to fly expertly, safely, and with your own style and flair.


12-15



Read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson together.


17



“In the middle of the pain you didn’t cause, the change you didn’t want, the reality you didn’t know was coming . . . your life can still be beautiful.” Lysa TerKeurst


20



To paraphrase Ted Lasso, it’s the people who think they’ve got it all figured out who delight in judging people and events. It’s better to be open minded, ask questions. Be curious, not judgmental.


15, 21



Always clean from clean to dirty. Wash glassware first, greasy dishes last. Sink and tub first, then toilet. Then floor. Top-to bottom is another general rule.


13, 18



Book: “victory. Stand!” By Tommie Smith


14



When they’re upset just ask what they need: space, distraction, or talk about it.


12



Anyone who asks you to violate your values doesn’t deserve your allegiance.


16, 21



From our beautiful Grandma Marie: Go easy on the makeup, get serious about skincare. Don’t skimp, use good-quality products on your face and neck. And remember SUNSCREEN on face, neck and hands every day!


16



Ask “What are you going to teach ME?” Let him work on something to teach.


11



“Anger is a wonderful catalyst but a terrible companion.” - Brene Brown


15, 21



Sometimes grief looks a lot like anger. Are you upset about something you lost or had to let go of?


15, 21



Build a backyard adventure camp


8



Read If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. Young adult coming of age story.


14, 17



Send thank you acknowledgemnt for gifts received


1-21



Pool safety- never touch equipment and always have a grownup present when swimming.


3-8



I forget who said it but I love it: “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” Paper and pen. Write. Keep it or burn it whatever you like. Journal or make a list or bullet points or narrative…whatever. Just write.


15, 21