14 - 16. Sex is better on an empty stomach.

(I am posting 3 lessons today because my Christmas plans just changed. In a few hours I am starting a 2-day drive with my kids to go see my mom who isn't feeling very well. Hubby will join us on Friday.)

14. Sex is better on an empty stomach.
15. Sex is an adult activity.
16. The people you are intimate with (physically and/or emotionally) stay with you forever.

14. Sex is better on an empty stomach - This one speaks for itself I think. Do I need to elaborate? One of my weight management strategies is to not eat 2 hours before bed. When I started doing this I noticed the darnedest thing - sex is so much better if I don't have a big meal or snack sloshing around in my gut. You'd think I would have figured this out 20 years ago (and maybe I did) but it seems to be a realization that didn't sink in until my late 30's.

15. Sex is an adult activity - I remember my mom saying this when I was a teenager. It made tons of sense to my young mind. I don't think I'll preach to my kids to "save themselves" for marriage because I think it's unrealistic with people getting married much later in life (often in their 30's). But I will talk about #15 and #16.

Sex is a natural, healthy, fabulous part of life. But it is for adults because the consequences are so great. Youngsters aren't emotionally equipped to make wise decisions about this kind of physical intimacy.

When you are intimate with someone, you are putting your life in his/her hands; with AIDS and other STD's the consequences of bad decisions are life changing and maybe life ending. Of course, an unplanned pregnancy will change the trajectory of your life. And there are lots of guys with terrible jealous streaks, who don't know how to handle their anger, and have grown up in homes with domestic abuse. If you end up in a sexual relationship with one of them, you may not realize what kind of physical violence you are inviting into your world. We've all seen the news stories. When a young woman is murdered or missing, the perpetrator is usually the man in their life. You have to make wise decisions about sex because your life is at stake.

16. The people you are intimate with (physically and/or emotionally) stay with you forever. I believe that everyone you share your life with stays with you forever in ways you cannot control or predict. The footprint some people leave is obvious. For example, I still have strange dreams about a guy I dated for 2 years in college. He is still with me - not in a way disturbing or distracting way, but he is there and uninvited. Have you ever been intimate with someone you love but you can't push thoughts of someone else out of your mind? That hasn't happened to me in a long time but it has happened and I didn't like it.