Hmmm, I was thinking about the teachers I have come across in my life. The ones in school and the ones that have made an appearance in my life via jobs I’ve held, friendships, romantic relationships, and of course family. It is said that the people that come into our lives each have a lesson to teach us, and they will continue to be a constant in our lives until we grasp what they have to teach. Although not all experiences are good, we always discover something new about ourselves.

 After a failed romantic relationship, for example, you might be tempted to think you’ll never get over that person or you’ll never be able to find anyone as “wonderful” as them. This all fits in one sentence, but what one feels after a break-up fills endless days and nights. Then one day you wake up and realize and decide it’s time to move on. This may sound terribly selfish, but I learned that for the time being I’m better off alone. I do not have the time nor do I want to make the time to invest in a romantic relationship.

 Then there are those people you meet at work. Most of them characters. In your entry level job it was probably easy to pinpoint the person you didn’t want to be. Every time that co-worker did something irritating you were probably taking mental notes of what not to do. And unless you’ve been extremely lucky, you’ve probably come across that “difficult” boss. I came across “that” guy in my second job. And even though he could be ruthless and the 7 12Hr day workweek was brutal the experience was so worth it. I met some of the most amazing people working with this man, all with such different backgrounds. There’s one that stands out for his mental agility and his straightforwardness. I’ve yet to come across someone so brilliant in my latter jobs. My current bosses are, for the most part, real darlings. The owner’s father I consider my mentor, my library has grown some thanks to the various books he’s given me. You really learn a lot from the people around you, especially in the workplace.

But of course the really important people in our lives are our family and friends. With age you come to hesitantly realize that your parents might have been right after all. You come to fully accept this once you start sounding like them. And siblings, gosh they’re all so different. You learn how to treat them, although one of my current bosses tells me we’re the ones that teach people how to treat us. If you have children you practically discover a new world! Them. Friends balance out the equation. Some are keepers; others drift apart for various reasons. Whatever the case, I’m sure there’s always something good or funny you’ll remember about that person.

It’s important to always keep growing and learning from those around you. You’ll be more aware of who you are and where you’re going.