“Tell me something you want to be when you grow up.”


5, 8



Family trip to a NASCAR race..


6



Drinking doesn’t work like climbing a hill, it works like surfing waves. “More” is not always better. Once you feel tipsy, drinking more will make you feel *worse*. Remember “more alcohol will ruin my buzz.” Coast, recover, then okay to start again.


14. 15. 17. 18. 21



Rain, snow or sleet...Always return the shopping cart to the proper spot in the parking lot.


17



Create tech-free zones and times.


10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 21



None of us should ever have to apologize for being who we are.


10, 14, 21



Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith.


19



Encourage others!!!


13



Pick a project on Instructables.com and work on it together this winter.


7



It's natural to avoid change. Try to learn to accept change, embrace it if you can! Change is good. :)


15



The bull-sh*t never ends. Dealing with the bull-sh*t IS your job. If you think you’ll ever reach a “post-bullsh*t stage in your life, you’re wrong.


12, 15, 19, 21



Follow love and kindness wherever they may take you and you’ll be fine. xoxo


13, 17, 21



Take heart. There are lots of terrible things in the world - Poverty, disease, injustice, natural disasters...Thankfully, good FAR outweighs the bad: Love, Faith, Art, friendship, healing, creativity, community, innovation, beauty and renewal to name just a few. Focus on the good. Relish in the countless expressions of goodness. Work hard to preserve, protect, and advance them.


18



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


15



“You will use up everything you got trying to give people what they want.” —- Nina Simone


17



I would rather deal with a big truth than a little lie. Whatever it is you’re going through we can solve it together but only if we’re both honest.


14



Don’t ask for anything until you’ve done what has been asked of you.


5



Find an activity / sport that they enjoy and support it. Get them outside and in the fresh air.


6-16



Gambling is designed to be seductive- Everything about casinos and online gambling sites is about getting you to hand over your cash. It’s a scam. Don’t fall for it!


15, 18



“Bullies are scared people hiding inside scary people.” -Michelle Obama


8-12



Teach how to carve a turkey.


15



Teach to use nail clippers


7



Be a safe place. Teach them to be a safe place too.


12



Check out news-for-kids websites like Dogo News and NBC Learn.


7



Read The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig.


4



When you apologize don’t offer excuses just acknowledge your mistake, apologize for the consequences, and assure them it won’t happen again.


12, 16, 21



Considering taking meds for your mental health but concerned about the side effects? Consider the side effects of *not* taking them! Meds don’t turn you into someone you’re not, they lift the murky fog around your brain so you can be more yourself. It’s the depression that changes you. Meds just help you get rid of the fog.


18, 21



“Open your eyes and see what you can, until they close forever.” - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Dorr. See the world! Learn science, appreciate art and books, meet people and be genuinely interested in them. Engage in the fight for justice, resist fascism and dictators. Share what you have and who you are. Putting up walls is a waste of time. Yes, there will be pain. But you will be able to face it with grace, grit, courage and with the love of others. Make love! But remember if they’re too drunk to drive, they’re too drunk to consent. And be sure you’re both on the same page so you can avoid misunderstandings and hurt feelings (yours and theirs). Don’t kiss and tell. Be protective but never possessive. Just be a man, you know? (man/woman/grownup human.) Be safe - $@!#% is forever.


15, 16, 17, 18, 21



Start playing Jokers and Marbles. Get it on Amazon or Etsy.


9



You are not your thoughts. Focus more on your choices / actions.


17