it is often true that you don't really appreciate events until they have finished and then you look back and realise how important they were. school is a good example. while we are attending school, it seems a waste of time, but those foundation years influence all we do later. i often think back to the friendships i have made and lost, and the opportunities that have come up or gone. now that i am a mother myself, i watch my children make the same mistakes and complain as i did. but i mustn't just think about the past. i have had lots of wonderful moments and there are lots more to come!