I HAVE LEARNED that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. that you can keep going long after you can't. I've learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. that either you control your attitude or it controls you. that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place. that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. that money is a lousy way of keeping score. that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up. that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological. that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others, Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do. that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change. that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret, It could change your life forever. that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. that your life can be changed in a matter of minutes, by people who don't even know you. that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. that the people you LOVE most in life are taken from you too soon.