On the way to Tim Hortons for my daily iced cappuccino fix today, (had to replace all of my failed addictions with something) William and I got to talking. I started telling a story about god knows what and ended up here.

My mother told me many things over the years, and tonight I realized which ones I continue to carry with me today.

-Don't waste your tears, none of this will matter one, five, twenty years from now.

-As you age, so does your heart. It becomes stronger.

-Through the process of growing up, the intensity of your emotions will dwindle and die. You will never feel as sad as you did at fifteen.

-Always prepare yourself for the absolute worst. If you do this, nothing that happens to you will ever seem as bad as it could have been.

-Remember to worry endlessly about the little things. If you do, the big things never seem so big.

My mother however, lacks a certain something that I hold within my grasp. A zen-like approach towards life. I float through life never really worrying about anything, not even the little things. This may come from my (step) father. (Just for clarity reasons)

He also gave me little nuggets of advice which I still carry with me. He is a man of few words, but the impact of those words are sometimes breathtaking.

-Always take care of yourself. You are the only person who will always be there for you.

-Do what makes you happy. Don't worry about those around you. They will look out for their own happiness.

And my favorite, which he told me only once many years ago, but still makes me smile today;

-You are beautiful.