28 Lessons in 28 Years

I’m still not a pro at life, that’s for sure. I wish I could go back and whisper these things to my 18 year old self, but there are just some things you learn with time. So, in no particular order, here are 28 lessons I learned in 28 years.

1. Things are almost never as bad as they seem at the time. My mama used to tell me this. When you’re young, a lot of things seem like the end of the world. You survive, though. So when I find myself in a particularly difficult situation, I repeat that first line, & I remind myself that I’ll make it.

2. Always RSVP– All I’ll say is, you wont truly understand this until you’ve had a wedding.

3. Take the Risk– This is so cliche, I know! Starting my fashion Instagram felt like such a big risk. Will people follow me? Will I just embarrass myself? Will I have time for it? But really, if I hadn’t taken the leap, I wouldn’t be where I am now—staying home with my son, writing blog posts and establishing relationships with so many influencers & boutique owners 🤯

4. People get busy-and that’s okay. As you grow up, you get busier and so do your friends. I don’t mean this in a terrible way but lower your expectations. Your friends are still your friends, and you can see each other when you can.

5. Everyone has bad days- give them the benefit of the doubt. I was really bothered recently when the drive-thru lady was super rude. But then I started thinking about the really rough days working as a night shift RN. I wasn’t always on my A-game. I had bad days too. So cut people a little slack—yes, they may be that grumpy all the time, but maybe it’s just a bad day.

6. Buy the “expensive” green beans. Unless you like eating sticks.

7. Fake news– watching the news makes you feel like you can’t walk outside without being shot. That everyone is out to get you. That no one has any kind of manners. But when I’m in town, that’s not what I see. I see people saying “thank you” & “you’re welcome.” I see people of all colors holding the door for people of all colors. I see people paying for the next person in the drive-thru. You’ve got your blinders on if you can’t see that there’s still a lot of good out there.

8. Plot twist: not everyone is nice. Not everyone was raised the way you were. Not everyone holds the door for you. Not everyone treats you with respect. Not everyone has an example of kindness in their life—but you can be that for them. Even when you don’t want to. Even when they yell at you. Even when they ignore you. Be kind. They’ll remember.

9. Fertilizer is plant FOOD, not medicine. Think about it. I’ve seriously kept a couple of house plants alive since my mom taught me this! 😏

10. Write thank you notes– everyone wants to feel appreciated. I’m all about a thank you card, but if you can’t make that happen—at LEAST send a text. I’ve mailed gift cards before and never had the slightest indication if the person got it. That just shouldn’t be the case, y’all. 🤷🏼‍♀️

11. Go to funerals- & take your kids. It makes you appreciate life. It helps you realize that time is limited. It helps you love deeper. If you’ve ever ran home after a funeral to hug “your people,” you know what I’m talking about.

12. If you’re craving fried shrimp, order a poboy. It’s half the price, and you can just eat the shrimp off the sandwich. | It’s embarrassing that I’m telling y’all this. I’ve been doing it for years. What can I say? I’m a cheap date 🤷🏼‍♀️|

13. Time FLIES. It just does. And sometimes you don’t realize this until you’re 28 with a family and forehead wrinkles. 🤷🏼‍♀️

14. Treat everyone like they have a story— in actuality everyone has a story, but isn’t it true that if we KNOW their story, we tend to be kinder to them? We tend to go the extra mile for them?

15. Don’t throw out ripe bananas—banana bread is delicious!

16. Pine straw is a quick cheap fix! Having a party and have no time to fix your flower beds? Pine straw is the answer. 👏🏼

17. People play a role in your life for a certain amount of time—Best friends grow apart. But maybe they were just there to help you make it through high school. Don’t write them off just because you grew apart during college. Remember all the good times with them and treasure those.

18. Being a mom is hard. It’s one of my greatest joys–but it’s hard. Some days all they do is whine. Sometimes they scream in the Walmart aisle. It’s okay not to love every moment of being a mother. At the end of the day, you’ll still miss them every night after you put them to bed. ❤️

19. Ranch goes with everything. Let’s be honest, I’ve known this my whole life.

20. No matter how nice you are or how hard you try, there are some people who just won’t like you. Wow that stinks, huh? Keep being nice. Don’t give anyone a reason not to like you, and you’ve done your part.

21. You don’t have to have everything to have everything— This isn’t something you realize when you’re young or even sometimes when you first get married. But when you have a kid, you’ll get it. I made really good money as a RN, but I’d decide to be a SAHM a million times over even if it means a smaller house or an older car.

22. Everyone has things that they regret about their past, but it’s so nice to think that we can better ourselves. Maybe you see someone in town and remember some mistake they made years ago. That person may be the same stinky ole person that they were before, but maybe they aren’t. Give them the benefit of the doubt (because don’t we hope they’ll do the same for us?) ❤️

23. Not everyone will forgive you, but you’ve got to forgive yourself.

24. If you miss your turn, you can turn around. I guess that can be applied to life in a lot of ways, but I’m really talking literally this time. I am significantly less stressed while driving when I tell myself this simple fact. No need to panic. No need to slam on your brakes. If you miss your turn, you can turn around. 🤷🏼‍♀️

25. At the end of the day, your marriage can be as good or as bad as you want it to be. Marriage CAN be a fairytale, but don’t expect it to be if you aren’t putting any effort into it.

26. Save. Your. Money. I think this is one of those things that everyone realizes too late.

27. Say it. There are truly heartbreaking moments from my past that stand out to me in my mind— not because of how my heart was broken, but because of who said what to comfort me. And though some of those heartaches seem so trivial now, I will never forget the people who helped me through them. |Some people are just so good with words, I guess. I’d like to work on that: knowing what to say when| It’s easy to see someone who’s going through a tough time and think that you shouldn’t bring it up. But you know what’s a better idea? Walking over and encouraging them. And honestly, you probably won’t remember what you said, but they will.

28. Treasure your mama. Because when you turn 28, you’ll look back at your list of things you learned and realize you learned it all from her ☺️

Okay, now comment below to tell me some things you’ve learned in your life!

Still making mistakes |but maybe a few less|,

➕ Katie ➕

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