3 things I’m so relieved I did in my 20s and 30s

As a retiree, when I look back at my life and reminisce with friends, it’s easy to focus on the negative. So for 2024, I’ve resolved to acknowledge and congratulate myself for things I did in the past.

There were many choices I took for granted that turned out to be wise decisions. They’ve brought me happiness, good fortune, transformative experiences, and valuable skills. I’m not perfect and I certainly have some regrets, but I’m proud of the person I’ve become. My younger self is a big reason for that.

Here are three things I’m so glad I did in my 20s and 30s:

I’ve heard from many friends that they regret the time they spent in anguishing over their bodies. They worried about being too fat or too thin, that their breasts were too big or too small, or that their hair was too curly or too straight.

This was before the intense pressure that many young women get from social media nowadays to look a certain way — and to do things like injections and plastic surgery to achieve a false and unrealistic standard.

I’m glad I was able to avoid that stereotypically American body shame. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I loved my body and rejoiced in it. My curly hair, my too-big smile, my strong and capable body, my unrestrained joie de vivre.

I was happy with myself, and looking back, I feel so fortunate that this was my experience.

So many young people today don’t know their way around a kitchen and don’t own even the most basic implements to put a meal together at home.

My mother, a farm girl from Missouri, taught me how to cook and bake from scratch. Standing next to her in the kitchen, we made layer cakes and Christmas cookies, biscuits and gravy, and chicken noodle soup.

I had a great education about the ingredients, techniques and equipment required to make something delicious and sustaining for myself.

Even…