Reflections on Life (the five things...)

Okay, I was tagged by Fned and have to answer the following questions, so: here are the things in their categories, and I added one of my own that seems relevant:

5 things I wanted my kids to know when they were little:

1) Smile and the world smiles with you
2) You can't always get what you want, so concentrate on getting what you need
3) Trust your mother!
4) Tell the truth and you'll always be believed; lie once, and you'll always be suspected
5) All the things my parents taught me (see below)!

Five things I want my kids to practice when they're older (which they are!):


1) That you make your own life so make it good
2) That you have to respect yourself, and that implies respecting others and respecting the environment
3) That you make love true by believing in it
4) That you're just fooling yourself if you go against your conscience
5) That you gotta give your best, accept your mistakes and learn something from each experience

Five things I want my kids to know before I die (hope they already do!):

1) Guys, I love you to death
2) Make sure you know enough English to be able to read and understand my stuff
3) Remember the good times and don't dwell on the bad
4) Whatever you decide to do in life, do it for me too!
5) When you find yourself a partner, be the best partner you can be to them

Five things I hope they will have learned before they die:

1) That it wasn't just about them; they knew how to negotiate
2) That whatever they decided to do, they loved doing it first, and the money came later
3) When they had an opportunity to do a mitzvah, they didn't pass it up!
4) That going through life with a partner put real meaning in their journey
5) That having a child around to teach and learn from was all part of the deal


FIVE THINGS OUT OF THE TREASUREBOX OF LEARNING MY PARENTS OPENED FOR ME:

1) If you lie to those you love, you will have to earn their trust all over again (and it ain't easy)
2) Don't cut off your nose to spite your face (holding grudges, chip on the shoulder, etc.)
3) If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all (gossip, making someone feel bad)
4) You know you've got a fine mind, so there's no excuse for not doing good (in school; in work)
5) You can't have your cake and eat it too (learn to compromise/negotiate)

Meanwhile, I don't know who I'm sposed to be tagging, so I'll just invite everyone (the nonbloggers) to comment with their own answers to any of these categories! As for any bloggers who happen to see this blog, CONSIDER YOURSELVES TAGGED!