I swore I would never, but....

It's funny how we grow up to do exactly what we swore we never would. My brothers high school yearbook quote was " I grew up to be the kind of kid my mother never wanted me to hang around" and for years, I swore I would never be a teacher, simply because my sister was. Yet where did I find myself? In a classroom in front of 23 students, teaching. I also swore I would never be one of those girls who got so caught up in a guy that I lost who I was and what I believed in. I swore I would never get divorced if I ever married and I swore, I would never be like my mother. So far, I'm 4 for 4. (The one I'm most proud of that I swore I would never do is the last. I am more like my mother than I care to admit, but it's a good thing). All of these things I swore I would never do, and did, brought me to exactly where I should be. It's life's lessons that we should reflect upon and say thank you. We are all where we should be when we can look at our lives and understand the growth that we have achieved and the people who have helped lead us there. It is especially important to be thankful for those who are in the present of that reflection. It is they who were important enough, patient enough, strong enough and courageous enough to either help you through those lessons, or were found when the lessons have been learned. My record might not be a stat that one would look at and put their money on, but it is one that I am now proud of, as I am no longer afraid to make mistakes, stumble and fall, because most of the time, the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you or you swore you would never do, and maybe, just maybe, you'll get everything you wished for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. I did.

Rewind

It sneaks up on you
No notice given
Surprise!
Dumbfounded and confused an account of memories and time-lines are reviewed
Thinking back you ask "When did it happen?"
The realization that you aren't what you thought you were, but once were what you wish you could still be

Learning

To be unsuccessful at something is only a failure if you didn't learn anything from your mistake. Thank you for teaching me something.