moving to america - leaving all my friends, family, my country.. everything. man i think differently about ALOT of things now.

The love of your wife. It's nice to know you can bite back however. That first walk on the beach $0, that first roll in the hay $150 (we got a room), that engagement ring ($3,500), me with a license to practice law , priceless.....took her to the cleaners:)

I don't think it's one experience for me, just lots of little things. I watched and learned the way my parents always kept their love so visible and you just knew they wee a couple, even with little me tagging along. We were a great threesome doming everything together, going places and just having such fun as a family. And even back then....in the 'olden days', it was special compared to many families. I just knew it ws different. And I never forgot how special a family could be and was determined to make my husband everything and become a family, even with just two people you can be a family:-) When I read Dear Abbey and someone was complaining about their husband's snoring and she replied to think about the day when you might not hear it anymore because of their passing away. It was such a little thing again but it made me think to appreciate the good things in people and let those little irritations just go so you won't have any regrets. When my mom's mom died, no one here in the USA told me about it. I learned about it months later, like, "Oh, btw, Granny died". I was in shock. She had always been my favorite relative in Belgium and even though I didn't see her in her later years as she was too old to come for visits anymore, I always thought about her. I learned the importance to keep in touch, me, forcing myself to find things out and not rely on others to tell me things. And when things happen to friends and relatives, I don't presume they know about them, I make sure they know so no one will feel like I did:-(

When I was hospitalized, had major surgery which I had complications during the procedure...and then fed through an IV for two weeks.

It's personal, but believe me, it was a big one.

August 13, 2004 on Highway 395 in California...Jim and I survived an accident that should have killed us! :)

The type of work I do and have done. Especially having had worked in a nursing home. I had over 75 patients in my unit and what they want most is just to have someone take the time to touch them ..with my arm around their shoulder or a big hug. And believe me a smile goes a long way there. It was by far the best job I ever had. I got to see to it that my patients and other patients on other units always got hugs and smiles from me. Every single day.

Almost dying a few times, did it for me.

My job would qualify as an eye opener.

Walking away from a car accident where my friend slammed us into a telephone pole at 50 mph.

When the building I was demoing collapsed under me!

Getting married to the most controlling, b*tch ever.