To Impart

I've spent some time recently thinking about what I want this daughter of mine to learn from me. And I quickly realized that it's all things I've hoped to impart here to you readers. I suppose it's good that I'm nothing if not consistent. Here are a few things I firmly believe in:

* Use your china. Saving it for a rainy day is ridiculous. Those you surround yourself with should be those you value the most...they deserve your best.
* Screw being practical sometimes. Buy that white item for your wardrobe or that glass item to sit out, even if you have kids. But be practical about stylish flats when you are traveling.
* Tennis shoes/athletic apparel is for the gym. Not for foreign travel. Invest in comfortable but stylish traveling clothing. I don't even wear that stuff on our long road trips.
* Love freely. Don't hold back affection from those you love. Life is too damn short for a stiff upper lip mentality.
* But hold your cards closer than the average American with strangers. Don't give your life story away to everyone.
* Buy less, invest in more. More into your retirement, more in quality clothing, more into life memories. But not on credit (at least none you aren't paying off each month).
* What you eat is directly applicable to your health. Stop thinking in quick fix mentalities. Eat better food, eat less and move a bit. I guarantee it's the best diet.
* Everything in moderation. Too much of anything is bad for you. It's a universal truth.
* Tough love is tough, hence the name. No one grows up by being coddled or enabled.
* Find something you love to do even if it doesn't pay well (or at all).
* "Living within your means" means not having to worry so much about making more.
* Buy the poufy dress or fancy tux. Wear it. Twirl.
* Happiness is found not in the poufy dress, but in the twirling.

I haven't been so good about posting my days of thankfulness, though it's been on my mind daily. Today I'm thankful that I have a partner in crime who will read that list and completely agree with it. A man who lets me rant about the exact opposite of all of it, and who feels as passionate about a well lived life as I do.

I'm a week from their "guess date." Sleep doesn't come easy, when it comes at all. So I've had a ridiculous amount of time to think on all of this. If I kept going the list would be as long as an actual novel (with more details added in). Perhaps some day I'll write it for her. What it essentially comes down to is choosing to live a life where you actually live, but in a healthy way...physically, mentally, and financially. It's not easy all the time, but life is happier when I live by that.

If you could give your closest friends one piece of advice on life, what would it be?