The Wisdom of Mid-Life

This summer this blogger turns forty. Although wisdom is a thing that ebbs and flows at any age (I know very wise toddlers and foolish octogenarians--and vice versa), there are some things you learn, and they stick with you, and given just a window of opportunity, you have the opportunity to foist said wisdom on unsuspecting humanoids in range of your voice.

This blog is one such opportunity. If you close your eyes now and click on a tab, you might narrowly avert being the recipient of mid-life wisdom.

This will likely be a mix, some life lessons from the world of pastoring, studying, writing. Other lessons from running, parenting, nose-picking. Who knows. Whatever it is, it should be fun, unless it isn't. And you'll be able to tell.

In any event, watch out, because here comes the advice. And to kick things off, here's the most common piece of unsolicited advice I offer at every opportunity.

Life Lesson #40: Watch The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. 

It will save your life. Seriously, although you know to shush babies, do you actually know how loud a shush needs to be to sound like the sound a baby heard when it was still in the womb. And do you know how to do the little jiggle shake (not a hard shake) like the hand is doing in this photo. And have you ever watched and learned how to do a legit swaddle that a baby won't kick out of. All this and more is available by watching this video.

And after you watch it, and do the five S's, as a parent, you will sleep better than many other parents, the ones desperately walking their babies in the middle of the night and wondering if they will ever stop crying.