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What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?
I feel like the older generations have messed things up so thoroughly that our “best advice” should be taken with a grain of salt.
However, here are a couple of things my kids have brought up recently in a “you were right” kind of way:
My daughter said it was good that she got ALL her vaccines including the HPV series that some other parents declined. It prevents unnecessary complications later in life, including during pregnancy—a time when you absolutely do not need extra things to worry about!
So, I’d say get yourself and your kids all the vaccines you’re offered, including the annual flu and Covid shots. And people 50+, get the Shingles vaccine for God’s sake. It works and Shingles SUCK. (My husband had it and it was awful.)
In general, avoid the “I do my own research” crowd, especially followers of that quack RFK, Jr. Listen to actual doctors and scientists.
My son said he broke one of my “life rules” on a recent business trip and I laughed. He had forgotten to pack a bathing suit and it turned out his hotel had a lovely pool. I LOL’d, but it’s true, I always say pack a bathing suit, wherever you go. They take up so little space and you just never know when an inviting pool, pond, lake, stream, ocean or hot tub will present itself to you.
As a corollary to that, I think everyone should learn to swim well. Make your kids drown-proof. Get them swimming lessons, even if it’s a hassle.
50 Happens 
Good advice, all.
My husband had shingles a decade or so ago. He was miserable for months. And to make it worse? He gave me chicken pox at 48 years old as I’d never had it as a child.
Talk about awful!
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Oh dear God, that must’ve been awful – for both of you. I didn’t get chicken pox til 16 and it was really hellish. I still have scars. So you got the Shingrix vaccine after that, I assume!
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When I went to the doctor, they shuffled me through the back door and brought all the interns and students in to gawk at me because they rarely see an adult case of pox. Come see the spotted freak!
🥴
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Yes, very rare! Maybe because you were an only child, you never caught it.
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I remember friends and classmates having it, so I’m sure I was exposed back then.
But damn, it wasn’t fun at 48.
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Always be ready for a swim is great advice. Whenever I’m out with my partner and find inviting water, I’m going to have a swim.
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I’m totally with you on that! 🏊♀️😃
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Great advice Mary! I just read something about the amazing success of the HPV vaccine leading to dramatically lower rates of cervical cancer (in some country, I can’t remember where). I don’t get a flu shot or covid shot but probably when i get older i will.
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