LA DOLCE VITA

33 YEARS OLD.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I reflected this morning about the ways my life has changed, about the things I've learned. Honestly, having a toddler makes you forget most of the lessons until they come back and smack you across the face a few times

Comme se, comme se.

1. At 33 years old, hot rollers still do the trick. Stick with what you know.

2. When you're young, you will question and poke fun at your mom for her wardrobe, her basic black and neutral choices, her "boring" Ralph Lauren button downs. And then you look at your closet and realize that your shirts are sorted into blacks, whites and khakis. Listen to your elders.

3. Upon starting a new school, my mom asked if I wanted to be known by a nickname instead of "Elizabeth" - my response?

Lizzie.

I wanted to be a Lizzie so terribly badly, it sounded so cool and hip and cute and not stuffy at all like "Elizabeth." Well, guess who still calls me by the nickname? You've got it. The ones who love you, love you for who you are, not because of your name, your situations, your issues, your amazing talents at making bunny hats. Nope. They love you for you. No matter what.

4. The day before my birthday, sadly, marks the anniversary of the day we "lost" MJ to a brain injury. I will never forget him, his infectious smile, his ridiculous ideas and adventures, the feeling of being completely, 110% magnetized to someone and him to you.

Yesterday, HH wrote me and said:

Our concept of time is different than God's. We want to assign reason or lessons immediately and it could be a lifetime before we understand what were put through or what we were being prepared for.

Special, first time green eggs are laid by special chickens. Sometimes you throw them in the yard because you mistake them for bad eggs, just because they are different.

(and then sometimes your mama wants to hang you in the oak tree by your toe toes because THAT WAS THE FIRST GREEN EGG FROM GLADYS I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU THREW THAT).

Lesson learned. Just keep learning.