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WOW! today I have been married for 19 years! I also turn 36 today, but not until sometime in the afternoon, so I am going to bask in my 35ness for a moment longer. Let me just say, I am not having a hard time aging. I loved turning 30 and am happily trudging through being 30-something. I'm not going to list a bunch of things, but here are a few that I love about being 36:

I love that I don't care what people think of me.

I love that I care to listen to good advice and can see it for what it is.

I love that my friends soften my personality.

I love that my children are almost grown.

and I love that I have not been given everything I have ever wanted in life.

...well actually I hate that, but you would probably hate the person I would be if I was a spoiled little bugger, so you can love that I wasn't given everything. I will always love more love.

Now let me list a few things I love about being married:

I love that my husband understands my sense of humor and "gets" my jokes.

I love knowing my kids grew up in a home with both parents even though there were some tough, tough times. (to many people selfishly rip their families apart only to find LIFE can be tough)

I love looking back and seeing moments of tenderness between us that no one else knows about.

and I love knowing we struggled through and survived some tough challenges.

Some advice I would offer others is:

DO NOT EVER GET MARRIED AT 17!! I don't care if the pioneers did it! I don't care if your boyfriend "loves you soooo much"! If he loves you at all, he will wait! and if he doesn't want to wait, let him work, eat, sleep, and live like a pioneer man for 90 days straight and then if he still wants to marry you, your dad can take him behind the woodshed and beat the tar out of him for not learning anything!

DO SET GOALS & WORK ON THE BIGGER PICTURE!! Life is not about you, it's about life! Who is going to remember your touch, what is going to treasure your efforts, where is your reflection going to shine?
There is a whole universe that can resonate with your energy, are you going to be the drop of rain that forges a new path down a mountain or are you going to be the drop of poison that destroys the oldest tree?

REMEMBER GOD!! Things just don't happen, they happen for a reason! We are here to learn and we are accountable for the efforts we put out. Love each other, remember promises are NOT meant to be broken and neither are people. Be gentle, be honest, be kind. Love with all your heart and don't let hate linger.

Love is like a chocolate covered caramel . No matter how sticky it gets, it still tastes good.

Hate just tastes like mud!

"Come what may and love it!"