“I regret putting up with toxic behavior from relatives ’because they are family.‘ I wish that I’d set my boundaries and been done with that much earlier. Nobody should put up with bad behavior.”

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"It’s a shock to the system to realize that you, yourself, ARE those family members now. It’s very hard to put yourself in the position of a 'matriarch,' etc. because in my mind, I’m still the child of the family. Lots of psychology there!"

"I will also say that I have zero regrets about my decision to not have children because every day I wake up grateful that I am emotionally and financially responsible only for myself and that my free time is my own. It's bliss."

"I was so cute with my pearly whites. Now, I can hardly look in the mirror."

"2) I always felt like, at some point, my 'real' life would begin and that everything I was doing was just provisional...until I realized that all of this provisional stuff was just my real life — that there was no true beginning or ending and that change is constant. This is still hard for me to process even on a day-to-day basis."

"As to the positive, I think back on my younger self and cringe thinking about what a fool I could be. I’m grateful for the increasing knowledge and wisdom that can come with age if you keep an open mind. I also don’t miss being poor. So, there are pros and cons. What’s the saying? Youth is wasted on the young? Lol."

"My parents. I miss them every day, and I wish I could have them around for my kids. They’re not here to watch their only grandkids grow up, and I get sad about all they are missing. They were great parents, but they were awesome grandparents!"

"Also, we used to give each other big gifts, now we do experiences. I can't remember what we've given each other over the years, but I remember all the trips we've been on and concerts we have been to since we made the switch."

"Some things that happen to you in life just happen, and you will have zero control, so all I will say is enjoy all the little things because you just never know what might happen tomorrow."

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.