A quarter of a century of learnin'...

Last night, after my most fabulous gLee party (yes, I wore a tiara. And yes, if you must know, 2 very nice Musketeers came to sing me happy birthday since the show is still going on at the Hale. Does my life make you jealous? It should. Because one of them was devastatingly good looking, even in a wig) one of my insightful and wonderful friends asked me an interesting question. She wondered, now that a year of my life has passed, what I had learned. I made a few jokes about silly things, but spent the rest of the night pondering on her question. In reality, there's a lot that I've learned in the past year, but I realized that at the ripe ole age of 25, there's a lot that I've learned in life (read the last part of that particular sentence with HEAVY sarcasm. 25 is far from old). Anyway, here are a few things (25 to be exact) that I'd go back and tell myself, if I could:

25) Running through the sprinklers in your underwear is the only way to go when you're 2.

24) Peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate milk are gifts from heaven. Especially with your mom's homemade strawberry jam. That and the lilac bush 'playhouse' at the Denver Street house are the perfect combination for an excellent summer afternoon tea party.

23) Dressing your little brothers up in tutus and making them perform the ballet moves you taught them is COMPLETELY worth the blackmail material, even through all of the death threats.

22) Taking your little sisters with you isn't as bad as it seems. Eventually they'll be your best friends and you'll be begging them to hang out with you.

21) A copy of Anne of Green Gables and a rainy day never get old.

20) Telling your siblings there is no Santa Clause is cruel and will most definitely result in your parents playing a trick on you, causing you to doubt your own wisdom.

19) Snuggling a newborn baby is one of the best feelings on the planet.

18) An empty lot offers endless possibilities for an imaginative 11 year old and her brothers.

17)  Mom is always right. I know you think you are, but trust me, somewhere between the braces and your first car, you'll figure this out and be grateful for all that time she took to offer her advice.

18) 98% of the time, your dad is joking. Don't take him seriously.

17) Get used to wanting expensive clothes. That desire is not going away any time soon. It's called budget.

16) The fact that you're not sixteen for sophomore prom is not the end of the world. When you look back on it, you'll be grateful that Daddy didn't let you go.

15) Car dancing is a must. At all times. In all things. In all places.

14) Answer the pepperoni.

13) Following a prompting is never a waste of time, even if you don't see why it's important for years.

12) You will never be sorry that you served a mission. Ever.

11) When your heart gets broken, big time, it's okay to be upset for a little while, but be sure you move on. Holding on to a grudge never helps anyone.

10) No matter how hard you try, you'll never be a BYU fan. Just embrace your Ute pride and don't try to be something you're clearly not.

9) Confidence and pride are not the same thing.

8) Growing up has different milestones for everyone. Don't measure yourself against anyone else, it'll only cause you stress.

7) Math is evil. It poisons minds.

6) Being unique is essential. Do the best you can to be as true to yourself as possible. Always.

5) Never allow anyone else to define who you are.

4) Don't read Twilight. It's like cotton candy: pure spun sugar that rots your teeth out of your head. It's dangerous to your health.

3) There's a difference between sarcasm and wit. Learn it quickly.

2) When you feel like no one loves you, go to 4th grade.

and last but not least:

1) No matter how old you get, it's okay to watch the Disney channel. Always embrace your inner child.