Things we learn too late

There are life lessons
We don't learn in school,
and no one tells us them from the start.

We learn them late...
After walking long distances
And growing a little tired from the journey.

We learn that some people
We weren't created to stay in our lives forever,
But to teach us something and then leave.

And we learn that success
Isn't a race with others,
But a quiet journey
In which we try to become better than we were yesterday.

We also learn
That worry doesn't change the future,
But it steals the peace of the present.

And that some opportunities
Don't come twice,
So we must be courageous
When they knock on our doors.

With time,
we gain a deeper understanding of life.

Not because the world has become easier,
But because we've become calmer
In dealing with it.

We choose our battles with great care,
And we let go of things
We once thought were essential.

And in the end,
we realize a simple truth,

but a profound one:

That wisdom lies not in knowing everything,
but in understanding what is worth
giving our time and our hearts to.

And so...
Life continues to teach us,
lesson after lesson,
until we become people
more mature...
and kinder to ourselves.