the dawn of an older age

lessons i've learned in middle age (so far)

1 i spend a lot of time trying to find myself but keep looking in the wrong places
2. soap dispensers can sometimes be unpredictable
3. my black and whites don't always make gray
4. sourdough bread is evil, but in a good way
5. cranky babies on an airplane are cuter when you're listening to your ipod
6. i should never have bitched about peanuts and a measly soft drink on flights-at least they were free then
7. one should always check the toilet roll dispenser first
8. the aisle and seat number is not the gate number in the world of airplane seat assignments
9. the older i get, the less i know
10. i have a blessed life because there are people that love me
11. everyone just wants to know that they matter
12. the dog is always going to have diarrhea on the rug that's on my side of the bed
13. the universe always provides
14, sometimes i actually need help with things
15. there's always going to be someone who does it differently, better, faster and more creatively. the trick is trying to be okay with that
16. yes means generally, maybe means no, no means possibly, possibly means generally which also means yes (possibly)
17. knowing what you don't want doesn't necessarily mean that you know what you do want
18. the more we tell the stories of our lives to others, the greater sense we make of ourselves
19. how we think about our life experiences helps us better define who we are
20. the way we cope with our lives is the way we'll cope with our deaths
21. in the end, it all comes down to love
22. if you tell me you're not afraid to die, i'll know you're lying...we're all afraid to die no matter how old we are
23. life is sacred and mystical
24. a watched pot eventually does boil
25. nothing's definite. the only thing that is constant is change
26. we're never ready to say goodbye to a loved one, the best we can do is hope that we can resolve ourselves to it somehow
27. i wasn't prepared to miss my father every single day of my life
28. you can never know what someone else's experiences are, even if you've gone through similar ones yourself
29. there is an order in chaos
30. you're always going to be the one to fill up the ice cube tray
31. our memories are our life jackets
32. taking risks in life is a necessity
33. your period will always start the day you wear white pants
34, sunday afternoon + football game + husband = snoring
35. trying to be true to yourself is difficult when you're having an identity crisis
36. the advent of wireless cell phone headsets has made it much more difficult to recognize those in the world with mental health issues
37. i will never, ever, never, never wear spandex
38. pizza is only good if the grease runs down your arm while you're eating it
39. it's harder to dig out from a world of shit when you have a broken shovel
40. did i say the older i get the less i know?

what are some of your favorite lessons learned?