Changed behavior is the only real apology.


15



I get it. It’s exhausting when they’re little. But you will never be so needed or so loved as you are during these years.


2, 3, 4



Read “Lighter” by Yung Pueblo. Read it every year.


17, 19, 21



Review basic grammar mistakes: Their, they’re and there. “It’s” and “its” “a lot”, etc.


10



Toast your wife at every occasion.


21



Discuss difference between foods that taste good vs. foods that make you FEEL good.


12-14



Teach them that when we hear sirens it means someone is in trouble but help is on the way.


2-5



“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as remaining where you no longer belong, or where you’re unable to be yourself and thrive.” Mandy Hall (paraphrased.)


21



Don’t go to sleep on a full stomach.


10, 15, 17, 19



Numbing doesn’t work. Let it hurt, let it heal, then it lets itself go.


15,21



Never resist a generous impulse.


9, 12, 19



Take the family on periodic “spending fasts.” As an exercise, go a day, a weekend or a week without spending any money. Make due with what you have. Encourage participation. Tie in spending fasts with holidays, lent or in support of a cause.


7



Resist the urge to give unsolicited advice. Wait…this entire thing is unsolicited advice!


15



Talk to them about how dangerous it is to buy pills online. Fentanyl is ubiquitous and lethal in small doses. Never never take a pull that wasn’t prescribed or purchased legally.


12



You don’t have to lower your standards, just lower your walls.


12, 15, 21



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



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


13, 15, 21



Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech.


10



People will speak or act in all kinds of unpleasant ways. Stay calm and kind.


14-21



Celebration and acknowledgment: Make a big deal over little-big things and teach them the same: getting their braces off, or a cast on a broken bone, a friend gets a new car, etc. Always acknowledge the sad that someone is going through or the difficult situation. Applies to all ages.


12, 15, 19, 21



You are 100% replaceable at work. You are not replaceable at home. A good work ethic is crucial but don’t drain yourself to the point that you don’t have anything left for your family and friends.


21



Brennan Manning lectures and books.


19



Sometimes rejection is God’s protection. If u worked hard and gave it your all and still missed the bus, that bus wasn’t yours. Read The Artist’s Way.


17



Rudeness is a weak person’s imitation of strength.


13, 21



Of all the things I worry about, addiction is very high on the list. Begin talks (age appropriate) about addiction.


7



Jam is an incredible resource of fun learning activities and projects in a safe online environment. Ages 6-16.


6



Intimacy is a feeling of safety. To let yourself be seen, touched, known, without defenses.


17, 21



Figure out a way to teach the concept of zero-sum game vs. how giving and sharing actually compounds love and goodness. Someone else getting a fair shake, or attention from someone you like, or well-earned rewards or recognition does not take away from us. Celebrate those victories and encourage others to reach for more instead of jealously guarding what you have.


8-12



Visit the Grand Canyon together


18-21



“You belong in every room you enter.” - Shonda Rhymes


6-21