50 Lessons at (Almost) 50 - Pt.2

“50 lessons at (almost) 50” continues with:

Lessons Learnt from Others

11. My children taught me that…

motherhood is one of life’s greatest gifts, second only to salvation.

Motherhood is layered, sacred, and powerful. A true mother offers the gift of her

children to their father, yet those children remain her greatest blessings forever.

Nothing diminishes the sacred bond between a real mother and child.

12. My parents taught me that…

my childhood did not sentence me to a fixed outcome.

Early influences matter, but they are not life sentences. I am still accountable for my

adult choices. What shaped me in childhood can be examined, healed, and reshaped in

adulthood. Growth is always available to those willing to do the work.

13. My friendships taught me that…

not everyone is meant to stay forever.

There are old friends, new friends, seasonal friends, “hello” friends, and “goodbye”

friends. Each serves a purpose. Wisdom is knowing who you are dealing with, and

choosing your words, energy, and access accordingly.

14. Relationships taught me that…

strangers aren’t just people that I have never met.

Some of the deepest connections between men and women aren’t meant to last

forever. I have learned that intimacy doesn’t guarantee permanence. In many cases,

after a breakup, two people who once knew each other completely can become

strangers again with no conversations, no shared spaces, no access. It is a sobering

truth, but also a reminder that not every connection is meant to stay, even if it once

meant everything.

15. Social media taught me…

to examine my own character, not just everyone else’s.

It is easy to judge a post or a highlight reel, but harder, and far more important, to ask

who I am behind the screen. Integrity doesn’t log off when the laptop shuts down or

when the phone locks.

16. Co-workers taught me that…

work is a daytime home but not my real one.

The workplace may demand my time, energy, and professionalism, but my true home

begins when I cross the threshold at the end of the day, kick off my shoes, remove my

bra, and breathe out.

17. Strangers taught me that…

observation is a form of wisdom.

People-watching has value. I have learned that I don’t need to enter every space or

conversation to learn something meaningful. Sometimes insight comes simply from

watching others without intrusion.

Sometimes strangers are mirrors. Sometimes they are messengers. And sometimes they

are lessons disguised as chance encounters. Not every meaningful interaction begins

with familiarity.

18. Enemies taught me…

some uncomfortable but necessary truths.

Some enemies are created by my own words, actions, or blind spots. Others arise from

people fighting battles I know absolutely nothing about while projecting their struggles

onto me so they don’t have to face themselves as the villain in their own story.

Discernment helps me know the difference.

19. People in authority taught me…

Not everyone in authority is the same. Some are natural leaders; others are simply

skilled at what they do and are mistakenly placed in positions of influence. Either way,

leadership requires effort, responsibility, and direction. The real lesson is discernment

and recognizing when the path being led has turned into a dark tunnel with no light

ahead. In those moments, a follower must choose: to keep running blindly, to quietly

walk away, or to stand up and become the light themselves.

20. Family taught me this…

Distance has a way of revealing what and who truly holds. Time and space can loosen

some family bonds, while unexpected, non-biological connections grow into chosen

family: strong, loyal, and lasting. At the same time, some biological ties endure every

test, remaining unbroken despite years, miles, and hardship. I have learned that family

isn’t defined solely by blood, but by consistency, love, and who continues to show up.

These lessons didn’t come from books, they came from people. And they stayed.

To be continued…