The best thing you ever did?

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

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.

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

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

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.

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!).

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!

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.

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.

1.My children.
2. Learning to drive.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

Lovely picture congrats!!

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!

Likewise - marrying my lovely husband 47 years ago today.

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?

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.

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.

CountessFosco

Without doubt, being interviewed by, and accepting the position of Personal Assistant to a Royal personage. [Absolutely true]. Wonderful experience working for said person. Should actually write a book about the whole experience.

Please don't betray them by doing that. Keep their private life private for them to the end.

Best things: passing my driving test 49 years ago;
Getting my professional qualification 40 years ago;
Giving up smoking 33 years ago;
Having my children;
Marrying DH2 last year.