Two Places I've Traveled... {thursday thoughts}

Man, over two years ago I started a list of ten posts I wanted to write over the next ten weeks. Well. It's been like, 104+ weeks since then and I still have two of those posts to finish. This is one of them. Here are the first eight of them:
ten nine eight seven six five four three

I haven't traveled extensively in my life but I have explored some really awesome places in the last 30 years of my life. Two stick out especially in my mind because they're the two trips I left the country.

01. Canada
I lived with my aunt and uncle for a couple years and made so many great memories with them & my cousins. We took a trip that included a stop in Canada and it was the first time I ever left the United States. I was 17 years old at the time which is old enough to soak so much of it in but just young and inexperienced enough to not realize the depth of what a cool and unique experience this was. We saw Niagara Falls - on the 4th of July! - and went to a super amazing amusement park in/near Ontario or Toronto called Canada's Wonderland. That was easily one of the best parts of the trip! I remember standing in line for a ride and there was music videos playing on TVs above us and an Ingram Hill song started playing and I could NOT believe what I was hearing... a local Memphis band playing IN CANADA?! What are the odds?!

We went camping in several different states and Canada and I did and saw so many things I'd never experienced before. I'm the type of person who would happily go to Walt Disney World every single family trip but traveling to Canada and having such a perfect, funny, amazing time really made me think twice. There is something special about traveling to new places and having new experiences.

I remember I helped cook pancakes one morning and my uncle made fun of me because they were just about as thick as hamburger patties! This is also the trip my aunt and uncle talked to me about the importance of just being and living in the moment. They talked about how they bring their cell phones on vacations for safety but they turn them off and choose not to use them so that they can be present exactly where they are. This was before the smart phones and social media we experience today but it the need to observe this on your vacations applies now more than ever.

The best part of the entire trip was spending that time with my family.

02. Mexico
The only other time I've left the good ole USA is when I went to Mexico for another family vacation! This time it was with my husband, cousins, sisters, mom, aunts, uncles, & grandparents on my mother's side of the family to celebrate our grandparents anniversary! We stayed at the Ocean Coral Turquesa Resort & I was 23 years old and about 9-10 weeks pregnant with Presley in the thick of the first trimester. For me, the first trimester (especially when pregnant with my two girls) was full of nausea. So, I think I would have enjoyed the trip a whole lot more if I hadn't felt sick 80% of the time. BUT! There were some awesome memories made on this trip and I'm so incredibly grateful to have had that time with so much of my family!!! Absolute favorite memory was playing beach volleyball with my cousins, sisters, & our significant others. It was hilarious and so much fun! We stayed at a beautiful resort with beautiful pools but when I look back all I remember is feeling so sick the majority of the time. Not to mention I couldn't get drinks with everyone else!!!

My takeaway from the Mexico trip was different. I felt like I didn't want to leave the country anytime in the near future... especially not when there were so many beautiful, amazing places to see within the United States. (I think that had to do with the fact that we couldn't drink the water there and being a little scared of local crime.) But at this point I really wouldn't mind doing something like that again! The sun, the beach, the water.... sounds like a dream!!!

Things About Me.

I'm trying to write 30 different posts about myself for my kids. This one marks the third one that I've completed. Baby steps.

List 20 random facts about yourself.

20. I feel like drinks are easier to taste and more enjoyable with less ice. Sweet tea, iced coffee, pop, water... all of it better a bit closer to room temperature. My husband is the exact opposite. He gets extra ice for his drinks and I want very little in mine.

19. I love planning our family vacations. So much. Especially the Disney ones. Which are very few and far between. BUT. I'm always making mental notes for our next one. I'd love to do it for a living someday for other families!

18. My Hogwarts house is Hufflepuff. My patronus is a wild boar. My Ilvermorny house is Thunderbird. Just in case you were wondering. (And yes, I'd love to hear yours! If you don't know them yet then I highly suggest you sign up at Pottermore.com and find out after taking a few short quizzes about yourself.)

17. It's pretty easy for me to be optimistic about things -- especially when it comes to starting new things. I've definitely got to work on the finishing all the things part...

16. On the other side of that same coin, I can be a pretty melancholy to downright dark and twisty person sometimes, too. Two things that don't quite seem cohesive (being both optimistic & melancholy) but somehow they coexist just perfectly to make me, me. In the dark and twisty moments I am lucky to have some great and strong and wonderful people in my corner to help put things into proper perspective.

15. I don't really believe in coincidence. I really do think things happen for a reason. And one particular thing I feel so strongly about that it makes me choked up is that I know that the timing of my dad leaving my life and my husband entering into my life is so much more than mere coincidence.

14. I connect strongly through music. Whenever a significant moment in life takes place you can guarantee I've put a playlist together for it. When I watch a TV show or movie and I hear a song that they placed perfectly to evoke emotion I have to find that song right away.

13. If it were up to me, I think I'd love a ton of kids. There is something so magical and so holy about giving birth. Something so wonderful about creating life and getting to know and raise these kids. It's nice to have a husband who keeps me in check... we certainly can't afford a bunch of kids and I don't know if I have the patience or sanity required for any more kids. But, if it were up to me, I'd be barefoot and pregnant and at home raising them myself. THIS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO IDENTIFIES AS A DEEPLY FEMINIST PERSON! I don't find those two things (motherhood & feminism) as mutually exclusive, either.

12. I'm a cradle Catholic. I've always loved being Catholic and was so fortunate to grow up going to a church that felt like home. Equally lucky to have found that in Illinois for the time we lived there. The last few years I felt disconnected from the Church and so glad to be back now. I've been helping my sister teach Sunday school this year and it's been a huge balm in my faith life. I really like our new church and look forward to the day it feels like home.

11. I love soundtracks. And more than anything else these days my favorite thing is to listen to the scores from movies or tv shows. I have so many favorite composers (Carter Burwell, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, James Horner, Alan Silverstri...) and there is something so peaceful about listening to musical compositions with no words. The background music to my life is often "The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Film Score)" station or "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Film Score)" station on Pandora at home.

10. If I had to pick my favorite Disney princess it would likely depend on my mood BUT. If I had to give one favorite it would be Ariel. For so many reasons. The entire movie is brilliant and the music is untouchable. Jodi Benson and Howard Ashman working together made real magic. And I love how brave and sure Ariel is.

09. I have a 2 year-old son and I'm still breastfeeding him. And he shows no signs that he's ready to give it up either. I nurse him first thing in the morning, right before he goes to bed, and occasionally once or twice throughout the day. There are times he asks for "milkies" and I'll tell him no. If it were up to him we'd still nurse much more often throughout the day. But to be honest: I'm getting a little burnt out. Or maybe just stuck in the wrong mindset about it: I'm a little tired of sharing my body. The plan I have in mind is to quit on his terms. I've never nursed a kid this long before so we'll see how it pans out.

08. My sisters have always been my confidants. I've always told them everything for as long as I can remember. I lean heavily upon them. When I'm upset or excited or really anything, they are the first people I want to talk to. When they hurt, I hurt. When we're not okay, I'm not okay. We haven't lived in the same city for some time now and I'll always feel a bit incomplete until we're all back together for good.

07. My teams: Chicago Cubs, Dallas Cowboys, and Memphis Grizzlies.

06. Trenta iced coffee with 3 pumps of caramel - no ice, no classic, no cream. That's my Starbucks order. I come home and add my own cream. And it'll last me a couple days. And I love it. The trenta size is giant and I swear it's the size that tastes the best with the right coffee to syrup ratio. I know. I'm a weirdo. My favorite barista works at night & knows my order so I frequent the same store around the same time of day a few times a week and it's something I just love.

05. I really want to have a vow renewal. Intimate with a focus on the vows and inclusion of our children. I feel like even though I was conscious of this at the time, weddings are still such a production. It's so easy for the focus of the day to slip. I don't have much to regret about how we celebrated our big day -- it was such a great, happy, wonderful, beautiful day -- but I often look back and wish it had been a bit more intimate. Not to mention, Tony and I are - in many ways - two completely changed people from that day seven & a half years ago. Our experiences (and especially becoming parents) has transformed us deeply and I'd like to honor who we are now. To acknowledge that change and come back together all over again. I think it's beautiful to promise ourselves to each other all over again and to be able to include our children this time.

04. I want to go on more adventures. The furthest I've been is to Riviera Maya, Mexico and Ontario, Canada. Both were awesome experiences. I'd love to explore the United States so much more than I have and would love to visit Belgium someday. Jerusalem would be another truly amazing place to visit.

03. I am a crier and I am a hugger. Shaking hands feels cold. Also I can not watch Moana or Coco without crying.

02. I am frugal pretty much to a fault.

01. I'll forever be sad that both Nsync and The Civil Wars disbanded. 

Guilt and Grief.

Grief -- the deep sorrow caused from someone's departure in your life -- is such an interesting concept.

I've found there is nothing small about grief. But there are both small moments and big moments when you experience your grief. Lately it is the small ones that creep up on me and stick with me the longest. Like ordering our most recent family photos and Crosby's two year portraits. We had two less "staple" people to order for this time. It felt like a punch in the gut. And now we're approaching Christmas card season and I feel that deep sorrow by such a "small" moment all over again. Not being able to write Granny or Gramma Myers on the list. It just drives home the reality once again that these people are gone from us.

One of the biggest feelings accompanying my grief these days is guilt. I could have and should have seen them more. Spent more time calling them and visiting them. Not out of some sense of obligation but because I genuinely know what I am missing out on now. I didn't see it clearly when they were still here and I failed to make the most of my time with them.

It's been an entire month without Granny. And I have yet to put into words what the woman meant to me. I've been putting it off. Telling myself I'm not ready... that there is no rush... and I need to wait until I can get it just right. But I don't know if or when that time will ever come.

For me writing is therapeutic. My words flow out of me, almost like I can't stop them. When both Darryl and Gramma Myers died, I automatically started writing. I didn't make the choice to say something about them rather I just couldn't help but write in those moments. And I'm so proud of the the reflection of the people I love within those two pieces of writing. I expected the same thing to happen for Granny. But every time I approach that door of trying to write from my heart about Granny, I just cannot open it. Even now I feel choked up. Almost like I can't breathe. And it's not that I'm afraid to cry or to feel but I can't find appropriate time to do that with the kids around me just about 24 hours a day every day. And then there is the guilt that I feel so broken up over losing Granny, as if it's not my place to feel such huge grief over losing her. Like I should get my shit together and keep it together to accept the grief of others around me, closer to her.

Grief and guilt and gridlock.

So while this is a post about Granny, it's not THE post about Granny.

More on that later.

Gramma Myers.

I wish there was more time. Even with 88 years on this earth, I still wish there were more time. The world was better and brighter with her in it. Somehow more right. Gramma Myers was funny and witty and smart and kind and snarky and generous and sassy and fun and tough. She's the kind of person who gave us savings bonds for gifts throughout childhood because she saw we had more than enough clothes and toys. Gramma is also the one who encouraged me to draw and to write as a child. I can remember her giving me a diary, telling me about journaling, and encouraging me to write. And later in life when I started blogging she shared with me how much she enjoyed each one and asked me to have them emailed to her every time one was posted. She's the Gramma who would send us calling cards way back when you needed them in order to call long distance because she always wanted us to have a way to contact her.

She was the kind of person who didn't mind telling you when she disagreed or disapproved of a choice you made. Mostly because I think she was so sure of who she was and was such a genuine person that she couldn't just fake it. Gramma was the kind of person who would unapologetically correct you mid-sentence if you used incorrect grammar. And ya know what? I'm a better writer/speaker/thinker for it. Another one of my favorite Gramma stories was from a trip I took with my little sister the summer of 2008. Ashley and I were with Gramma and she introduced us to one of her sweet friends. Her friend was saying hello to us when she noticed Ashley's nose ring and said, "Oh! She has a diamond in her nose!" and without skipping a beat Gramma said, "Well... diamonds are a girls best friend!" Add loyal to that list above of things I love about her.

One of my favorite trips to visit Gramma was the time Tony surprised me for my 22nd birthday. She got to show us many of the places she loves that we've come to love, too. We went to get "Cortez dogs" which were delicious fish hot dogs, around to all the best beach spots, and to Cha Cha Coconuts at St. Armand's Circle -- all the places we go to every visit now. Gramma had a slot machine in her spare bedroom and it was on that trip she told us it didn't work anymore and that she would either have to pay someone a bunch of money to fix it or maybe get rid of it. Tony offered to take a look at it and to our surprise he ended up fixing it! She was delighted and he scored some major brownie points that trip.

A year later I went to visit Gramma for Thanksgiving with my sister and brother-in-law. I think it was a good time of year for a visit because Amanda had the time off from teaching and I had the time off from college.  It wasn't until we were there that Gramma shared with us how much it meant to her to have us there specifically at Thanksgiving. That it was right around Thanksgiving when my Grampa Fred had a stroke and died shortly after and that the holiday was always a harsh reminder of it all for her. I was really moved by her sharing that piece of herself with us.

Although it just happened, it doesn't at all feel real that she's gone. Whether or not we were in constant contact throughout these last 30+ years, Gramma has been a unchanging part of my life. No matter what - I knew she was there. And more than anything, I took that for granted. Don't take one moment with anyone for granted. Don't wait to call someone until you feel less socially awkward. Don't wait to visit someone until you're making plans to attend their funeral. Visit your person. Call your person. Tell them and show them you love them. Let them know what they mean to you. Don't wait until it's too late for them to hear it.

One moment she was here

And then she was gone

along with the chance I had 

to give her all the beautiful things 

I was holding for her in my heart.

So they are still there.

And I'll hold them tight.
Until I get the chance to give them back to her.

I love you, Gramma. And I'll carry so many parts of you along with me.

Marriage Monday: Don't Underestimate the Day Date!

I just had the best Monday I've had in a long time.

Tony surprised me with a day date and we rode Bird scooters around Memphis today! It. Was. So. Fun.

To say I was intimidated up front is an understatement. Though I LOVE trying new things, this was totally out of my comfort zone! Having to ride alongside traffic made me nervous at first. Riding a scooter takes balance while riding an electric scooter takes balance and timing and it's kinda scary to go that fast!!! But also SUPER fun.

We started in Midtown and decided on a whim to ride all the way Downtown, get a late lunch at Huey's, and then ride them back. Truly the only downside (besides me being clumsy the entire time) was my scooter dying halfway back in an area of town that didn't have any scooters! It took us a little bit to track another one down during a super hot part of the day and of course Tony was a complete gentleman and insisted I take his scooter and he would run alongside me which was so sweet. I tried to protest and asked him why should he have to give up his scooter and he said, "Because I'm the runner." So. True! And thank God for that. We finally found an area nearby with scooters and we got two that were charged up and headed back.

It was one of the BEST dates I have ever been on. I laughed and smiled so much and was pushed just enough out of my comfort zone to make the date even more different, special, and meaningful. Most of all I loved reconnecting with Tony in our vibrant city on a beautiful late-summer day.

Which brings me to my point: DON'T underestimate the power of the day date!!! I get it... there is just something a little magical about the nighttime. It's typically the time of day reserved for most of our sensual moments. Meanwhile, days are for getting things done so that you can take it easy at night. We run the errands in the morning so we can have fun later. But spending the afternoon with my husband and the sun and the river and a scooter was pretty close to perfection. So if daytimes work best for dating your spouse -- get out there and day date the crap out of each other.

Marriage Monday: 8 years ago.

Tony and I got married at the Rock Island County Courthouse on a Friday morning eight years ago.

We didn't tell any friends or family we were planning to do this... mostly because we were in the middle of planning our wedding that would happen in less than a year. We "got married on paper" so that I could have his health insurance because I was going through some minor health stuff back then.  It was a very quick exchange of words mostly read unfeelingly to us by a judge. It felt really surreal.

Tony and I came up in the digital age and didn't realize these types of things were printed in the local paper regularly. Which is something my Gramma reads every day, apparently. So you can imagine my surprise when my Gramma asked when we were planning to tell her we got married!

So while I will always consider May 20th our anniversary and the day we got married... August 20th is a funny little special day I like to remember every year, too. Because it's the day I became a Duggan.

30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me: Dear Sixteen Year-Old Me...

A while back I stumbled upon a list of writing prompts (here) and I thought it was a brilliant way to write more while also giving my kids something substantial to read from me. I lost my dad without getting to know him as a person and I would really give anything to have pieces of him. So, despite how narcissistic it can often times feel to write about myself, I'm doing this for my kiddos. Slowly but surely, that is, because this will only be the second prompt completed here. (You can find them above at the "For My Kids" page)

Today I'm here to tell my 16 year-old self 10 things - so here we go.

01. Friends will come and go.

This was a really painful lesson for me as I lost a lot of friends throughout high school whether someone moved, graduated, grew apart, or due to bad decisions. Each loss felt devastating at the time. It wasn't until quite some time later when I realized it was OK and normal to grow apart from people throughout your life. The thing that really helped me here was the reason, season, and lifetime poem. Not everyone is destined to be a major part of our life forever and while it can be painful, it is all in God's plan for us. God knows what we don't and most of the time it starts to become apparent after a while why those people left our lives. Letting go can feel really great, too. I spent way too much time trying to hold onto people so tightly that I missed out on joy and new experiences or even just the things that were right in front of my face. So, friends WILL come and go. Let them go. Have peace in your heart about it. You will never have to beg someone to be part of your life who wants to be there. And you know what? Some friends will stay. Just keep swimming. Be good to the friends in your life.

02. Life is GREY.

In high school I saw things in black OR white extremes. And I did a lot of judging of people early on. At some point it was coming from a good place, but it really didn't come out as anything nice. Because no matter how well-intentioned it is, judging someone else just isn't our job. I wish I had known you could still love people despite their choices. That you can lovingly disagree with someone. You can look out for someone and try to be there for them and do it all without shoving your opinions and judgments on them. Life is grey. And that's okay.

03. Travel. 

Okay so you won't likely do much traveling with your sixteen year-old budget... but still. If you get the chance to go somewhere or do something new: DO IT. Don't let the fear of anything hold you back. If you get into a situation you don't like - then come back. I was always too afraid to go do anything in case it wasn't for me. (Like working at a summer camp away from home or trying the Disney college program.) Fear kept me from doing what I wanted to do too many times. I wish I had done more traveling with myself or my sisters or my friends or Tony. Not elaborate, not expensive trips. Just going anywhere and everywhere that I had the opportunity to go. I wish I had explored more unfamiliar places and seen more new things with the people I love before my kids came along. Because now my life is centered around them and being a mom. I'm not saying you can't travel once having kids and I'm also not saying I'm not planning to travel anymore... it's just not an option for me at this given moment. And I wish I had done more of it when I had more money, less responsibilities, and the time.

04. Exercise safe sex until you choose to become a parent.

Even if a doctor tells you it will be extremely difficult to get pregnant without fertility treatments. You will love being a parent one day - but just wait until you are ready. And honestly, there is no rush to have sex. Wait until you're ready for that, too. It'll all be worth it.

05. Speaking of that - exercise.

Aside from cheerleading in high school and gym class, I didn't exercise. Why would I? I could eat and drink whatever I wanted and nothing bad would ever happen. But I wish I would have known how beneficial regular exercise is and I wish I would have started that from a young age. Because once it becomes a part of your life and routine then it's just part of who you are. (Or at least that's how it was for me when I exercised regularly later in life when I had all that pre-kids energy.) It helps your mood, it helps your body to function properly, and it just makes you feel great. So start now and keep up with it.

06. Open a checking & savings account, work as much as you can.

I got this advice when I was 18 but I had already been working two years by that point. And I had a stack of paychecks I had never cashed!!! What. A. Mess. I knew absolutely nothing about the principles of saving money let alone the skills required to navigate a simple bank transaction. So. Here it is. Open up a checking account. In your name. It's okay to feel intimidated at first. If you can, open a savings account as well. Hopefully something with a bit better interest rate than your checking account. Try hard to not touch the money you put into your savings account.

Now, work as much as you can while you're young and able and have the energy and free time. Because, why not? If you're not working you'll have more time to make bad decisions and get into trouble. If you spend your time working you'll keep yourself busy with being productive AND you'll be making money. If that's money you don't need right now - SAVE IT. Don't blow it on stupid clothes you'll wear once and realize you don't even like. (If that advice sounds specific that's because it is.) Bonus points if you find a job you genuinely love.

07. Don't be hurtful just because you're hurting.

Agh. This is such an important lesson. When someone does or says something hurtful to you, you do not get a free pass to do or say something hurtful. Take a step back, walk away... deal with your insides before you deal with someone who caused you pain. You might think you are hurting them and getting even but you are just damaging yourself. You are shaping WHO you are. Do you really want to become someone who hurts people? No. You don't. So just don't go there. Be kind. Be vulnerable. Even in the face of hurtful people. They are just hurting themselves in the long run. Get to a space mentally where you can be hurt and not be hurtful in return. Be someone your little sister can look up to and feel proud.

08. Stay away from alcohol until you're 21.

Seriously. Theres a great reason why you legally have to be 21 until you partake. Trust me. Theres just no need for it yet. You've only got this ONE time to be a teenager and alcohol will only mess that up. The fun part about alcohol is how freeing it allows you to be and you know what is beautiful about this part of your life? Being a teenager is a time in your life where you are free to follow your heart and your whims. It's a time when you're no longer a kid so you've got a bit more freedom and at the same time your not yet an adult so you aren't weighed down by those responsibilities and expectations yet. Being sixteen is freeing. You don't need alcohol to free you. And really, you don't need alcohol to free you at any age. Learn that before you have your first drink and you'll already be ahead of the curve. Also, alcohol is a depressant. It can and will disrupt the balance you have going on... it will affect your thoughts, feelings, and actions. And it can sometimes cause long-term mental health issues. Honestly, you should stay away from alcohol until your frontal lobes are fully formed (around age 25) but I get that I'm really pushing it here. Point is...

Learn to be yourself, make friends, dance, flirt, and socialize without the buffer of alcohol. It's okay if it's awkward. Awkward is good. Awkward is real. Everyone is awkward as a teen. Feeling awkward means we are just outside our comfort zone and that is where we learn and grow. We like awkward.

09. Get help.

So earlier I said at 16 years old your not a kid anymore but that wasn't the whole truth. You are still a kid. You are not ready for adult situations. And you will find yourself thrust into situations you are just not ready for. This is where you need to get help. Stress is a great help indicator. It usually means you are having to bear something you can't fully deal with on your own. THAT IS OKAY. That is normal. It just means it's time to ask someone who loves and supports you for help. PLEASE, please don't be afraid or feel too intimidated to ask an adult for help. Think of an adult who makes you feel loved and safe. Go to that person. There is no "thing" too small to ask for help. Don't feel shame. I tell my kids now -- who are most definitely NOT teens yet but the same applies -- it's a BIG kid behavior to ask for help. It may not feel like it, but it is.

10. Try new things.

New foods. New experiences. All of it. Well, the healthy stuff. Let me give you an example. Senior year (before moving to Illinois) for some reason I decided to give bowling a try. Not just for fun on the weekends with friends at midnight bowling... like the actual bowling team at school. I wish I could remember what motivated me to go but I went to the tryouts. And it was FUN. Who knew there was an actual method to bowling?! Not me... not until I went, at least. I ended up making the team mostly because the amount of girls who showed up at tryouts was the number of girls they needed for a full team. The people on the team were wonderful and kind and I learned a lot while having a lot of fun. And I genuinely got better at bowling. Why did I wait until senior year to try out? I wish so much that someone had sat me down freshman year and told me failing is okay. We're not going to be good at everything we do but everything is worth a shot. So try everything.

I admire my little sister so much because she had the guts to try something new her freshman year when she tried out for volleyball. She'd never played before and had so much to learn but she found out she was a quick learner and she was talented and athletic and she did fantastic. She made the team and she excelled. Watching Ashley play volleyball and practicing with her are some of my favorite memories from high school. I wish all the time I'd had the courage she did and would have tried out my freshman year. I might not have made it - but what if I would have? We could have played together for two years in high school. And I would have had fun because that community was full of great people.

Try all the things. Don't be afraid of failure. It's just as likely you'll succeed. But if and when you do fail it'll propel you forward. It'll help you discover your capabilities.

Other great things: learn to love coffee, get your ass to church but more importantly know God, read lots of books, spend time with your family, develop hobbies, life is about more than the opposite sex (or more specifically life is about more than what the opposite sex thinks of you), don't waste your time on mean or fake friends, go to sleep at a decent time, get out of your comfort zone as much as possible, be good to your sisters, eat food that is actually good for you, life isn't always about you, LISTEN TO GOOD MUSIC, the popular thing is almost never the right thing... and a million more.

Kids, if you're reading this, I wish I could just breathe these lessons into you. But I can't. You are going to have to make the choice to hear these things or not. And I hope you take this time in your life to listen to your mommy and learn some of the things she wished she knew at your age. I love you SO MUCH and always want what is best for you and I hope you feel that.

What kinds of lessons do you wish someone would have taught your 16 year-old self? What are some of the lessons your thankful you were taught at that age?