it's made me who I am

Like it or not, like me or not I am who I am because of the experiences I've had and learned from. Hopefully. Some lessons I've liked so much I've had to learn them again! I've always tried to live my life without regrets and maybe that sounds cliche', young, inexperienced, naive or what have you but it's the truth. I've had good days, bad days and in between days. I've been hurt, lied to, ashamed, maxed out, overjoyed, happy, angry, had my heart broken and felt like I was on top of the world and a myriad of other things as have we all, but in the end it's that which we are dealt in life that shapes who we are, the things that we do or don't do, the experiences we have help mold us into who we are. The other part of that is how we deal with those experiences, feelings and emotions is equally important to who we are. I was trying to explaining to my children that two different people can look at a picture and see something completely different and yet it is still the same picture. Some might be drawn to the blue color of the sky others might enjoy the yellow of the sunflowers, and it's the same with life. When we are in a less that ideal situation one person might panic and the other might keep their wits about them based on the experiences they both have had. And like I told my children both 'visions' are ok. We're not all meant to walk the same path, I believe we are constantly being prepared for what lies ahead, good or bad. My life now is SOOOO different from where I thought I'd be at this point in my life, So. Very. Different. But I have no regrets and I couldn't enjoy my life more! Had I not had the experiences I did earlier I would not be where I am now and the thought of that makes me sad. So I meander through life trying to keep in mind there are more colors in the painting than the one I see and hope next time I look at the painting I see them all. All the while waiting for the next experience to come along or in some cases seeking it out! So the thing that I'm thankful for tonight is experience, outlook and perspective.