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The best thing you ever did?

(99 Posts)
MawtheMerrier Sun 24-Jul-22 11:33:09

Got to thinking about this. It’s too easy to remember the disasters, to dwell on the mistakes we make in our lives.
But what’s the best thing you ever did?
Easy for me - it was to marry this man 52 years ago tomorrow ?

Tiggersuki Tue 26-Jul-22 11:37:47

Easy one this, and so pleased we did it. In 2005 we went off travelling the world and continued until 2008, some time we lived in camper vans( New Zealand and the US both bought by us and later sold on) and in Australia for 13 months we bought a 4WD and reasonable size tent and some time went into cheap accommodation. Cheap hotels in South East Asia , Mexico and South America. Only stopped as I had a stroke while still only in my 50s and very fit walking up to 10 miles a day . But at least we have the diaries and photos and memories and we did it. Not so straightforward now but could be done. We rented out our house for income with my husband's pension and I just stopped work; and stored minimal furniture and belongings in our garage. Our daughter-in law sorted out contracts and filed tax returns for us.

Ardeanan Tue 26-Jul-22 11:37:58

Went to a remote school in northern Nigeria as a volunteer teacher for 16 months when I was 22. It changed my perspective on life and the course of my life in so many ways. I finally wrote the memoir, Bush Girl, a volunteer in Northern Nigeria during lockdown.

Tooyoungytobeagrandma Tue 26-Jul-22 11:39:06

Getting divorced after nearly 40years married. Happier now than have been for a very long time, should have done it a very long time ago?

Septimia Tue 26-Jul-22 11:39:25

Likewise - marrying my lovely husband 47 years ago today.

SparklyGrandma Tue 26-Jul-22 11:42:00

Dee1012 that is beautiful, what a gift you gave your mother.

henetha me too. Living alone is essential and wonderful. With its challenges but at least I am in charge of the remote!

Gabrielle56 Tue 26-Jul-22 11:45:50

Lovely picture congrats!!

annifrance Tue 26-Jul-22 11:47:17

Having my two wonderful children who have given me 3 darling grandchildren.

Taking on a number of discarded/abandonned French dogs,, sheep, cats, poultry and goat.

Graduating aged 53 with a 2:1 BA Hons degree in History of Art from University of Kent, gained while working and going through an acrimonious divorce. Magical moment at Christmas time receiving my degree in Canterbury Cathedral with my son and daughter there. It was dark coming out of the Cathedral and the medieval streets were full of white Christmas lights.

Gabrielle56 Tue 26-Jul-22 11:51:28

Floradora9

The thing I am most proud of and pleased I did it was to foster babies who were to be adopted. My mother thought I was mad as I had a 4 year old and another still in nappies but I wanted to do it . I got the babies at 7 days old and they just slotted into family life . One Christmas I was asked to take a baby and we were going to my DM's for the holiday but I thought well if you could turn away a baby at Christmas is was pretty mean . This was before the abortion act really kicked in so sometimes I got the choice of three different babies. My goodness it was sad to part with them but when the other option was to start life in a children's home it was worth it . My DD remarked the other day how she would fantasise as a small child about her real mum who probably was a princess . When I told her off she would say she was going back to her real mum .I was dressing a baby in the church hall one day and a friend remarked that I looked like I had done this all my life. Meeting some of the parents who adopted the babies was lovely too . Once abortions really got accepted there were hardly any babies to foster.

Truly something to be proud about. Bless you and your husband for being there for those poor little babies. I was adopted and who you're chosen by can make or break you. Your an angel!

Startingover61 Tue 26-Jul-22 11:53:57

Refusing to give up my MA study when my then fiancé (later, husband) said I didn’t need it. Divorcing him after 28 years of marriage (he turned out to be abusive). I’ve lived alone now for about 6 years and love the peace and quiet, not to mention the absolute freedom.

Happysexagenarian Tue 26-Jul-22 11:57:48

The best thing I ever did was marry my wonderful husband. We've been very happily married for over 40 years, he's the centre of my world and I love him to bits, though I sometimes wonder how he's put up with me for so long!

Sulis Tue 26-Jul-22 12:02:21

The EST Training. Apart from having my son it was by far the best experience of my life and turned me from an unhappy drifter into following my dream of artschool (at 39) and becoming a happy artist, capable of achieving a successful life and selling my work.

3nanny6 Tue 26-Jul-22 12:05:41

Far too many wonderful things I have experienced in this life and a million blessings came my way impossible to choose just one thing when so many gifts of love come into your life (not just financial) scaling things down to one thing cannot be done.

Alioop Tue 26-Jul-22 12:14:16

Got divorced from my controlling ex. Twelve years later I'm still on my own, can do what I want, buy what I want, when I want. It's great.

Quaver22 Tue 26-Jul-22 12:44:22

1.My children.
2. Learning to drive.

fuseta Tue 26-Jul-22 12:49:31

Marrying my second husband 24 years ago.
Having my two children.
Going back to college in my forties do computer studies and business studies. I went on to run a holiday travel auction and went on quite a few of the holidays myself, such as Nepal, India and Jamaica.

Moggycuddler Tue 26-Jul-22 12:54:02

Having my daughter (now 37) who is my best friend and I am so proud of the person she grew up to be. And marrying her dad 43 years ago. We've had ups and downs and troubles in life, but never with each other.

Luckygirl3 Tue 26-Jul-22 13:01:19

Apart from marrying and having children, without a doubt the best thing I did was to jump of the wheel of the grind of being an LA social worker and spending the next 10 years doing mad whacky paid work: photography, picture editor for a magazine, running community choirs and Three choirs Festival singing projects, running a youth arts outreach programme, singing with elderly and those with mental health problems, and in schools etc. etc. - lots of fun! - and rather poor financially!

Grantanow Tue 26-Jul-22 13:03:14

1. Getting married to my present spouse some 40 years ago, and 2. planning my pension in my twenties to achieve retirement at 50 (which I achieved 3 months late!).

Justhavingacuppa Tue 26-Jul-22 13:04:54

Marrying my husband and having children so finding out how happy a family can be.

Second to that, taking a helicopter ride over the Hoover Dam and into the Grand Canyon. Absolutely thrilling.

nipsmum Tue 26-Jul-22 13:10:14

Completed my nurse training . I was a nurse for all my working life and loved it from start to finish.

homefarm Tue 26-Jul-22 13:36:40

Taking a temporary job for 6 weeks that I really didn't want and staying for the next 26 years.

nannypiano Tue 26-Jul-22 13:45:15

The best thing I ever did was to start fostering at the age of sixty. I loved every minute of it and retired at 70, due to ill health.

jenpax Tue 26-Jul-22 13:50:41

Getting my law degree (nearly)before I had my children! I sat my finals 2 weeks after giving birth to my eldest.

Annewilko Tue 26-Jul-22 14:30:00

henetha

Apart from the obvious wonderfulness of having my children, the best thing I ever did was ending up living alone. It may sometimes be hard, it may sometimes be lonely, but it feels right for me. I belong alone, that is my natural default setting.

I love living alone, it's definitely the best way for me.

NonoZ Tue 26-Jul-22 15:21:33

So many good things in my life - but two stand out: One for me - doing 1 year on VSO in Africa when I was 18. I grew up and it made all the difference when I was applying for jobs. Two, for someone else - I met a very disabled 40 year old man and got him a job where I worked in a big American computer company. We were all in our 20s but he mixed in - and he achieved his greatest ambition to earn enough so his older sister, who looked after him, would not have to work.