10 Years Gone By

I had my 10 year high school reunion last Saturday - I was nervous to go, but once I got there had a lot of fun. I remember in high school I always felt insecure. I can definitely say I have grown past that in the last 10 years.
Amelia stayed home with John and they had a good weekend. She didn't really want to nap for her daddy, but was in good spirits all weekend! It was hard being away from her - John told me that "I was calling too much", which I do not think it possible when a mother leaves her 6 month old for two days!!
I got to hang out with my best friend Natalie (Sassy) and got to hang out with my best friend from middle school, Bethany. We had so much fun, it was ridiculous!!
At the reunion, we received a CD with songs from 1999, so on my way home I listened to it. I was jamming to songs like "All Star" by Smashmouth and "What's My Age Again" by Blink 182....then came the last, unlisted song. It was "Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen)". Needless to say I couldn't help from BAWLING while I listened to the song. I remember how my mom used to say "listen to the words of this song" and I would say "whatever mom" and think the song was stupid. But, 10 years later, it's amazing how real the lyrics are. We are all insecure, we all get jealous, we are all scared of something - but why? As he says "the race is long and in the end it's only with ourselves". What I thought was important 10 years ago is no longer important - money, career, "things"....these were all important to me back in 1999. Now, what's important is being a great mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend. Nothing is more important than the health of my daughter and my family. I have said many times that I would give up all of my "material" things to have my daughter healthy and to take away her heart defect.
So, below are the lyrics to "Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen)". It's so much more than just words. I've highlighted my favorite statements.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '99... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.