“You’re never too old to learn something.”

It’s a saying that’s as old as time, but it’s absolutely true.

I have learned my fair share of lessons, just this year alone.

However, we usually learn these lessons the hard way. Learning isn’t an easy process.

For instance, I learned that I shouldn’t try to order anything online. So many companies have let me down. As you know, my family celebrated Christmas in February, which required me to shop for gifts online due to there not being a vast selection of stores in the immediate area.

Now, if you ever say to yourself, “I can’t believe I have such bad luck,” I ask that you think again. Compared to me, your life is probably problem-free.

Imagine waking up “Christmas morning” and not having received all of the gifts you ordered. It kind of ruins the holiday. I placed an order with a company for two of the same items. Shouldn’t be that hard, you would think. FedEx delivered one of the two packages, telling me my order was now complete.

I beg to differ. I paid for two, received one.

Here comes the lesson … I have, sadly, learned people no longer want to interact with one another anymore.

There is a ridiculous process one has to go through trying to find any answers.

What ever happened to being able to talk to someone directly? Some companies don’t even list a phone number you can call. Only an e-mail for which you have to wait days for someone to reply — if they even do. Or you can sometimes chat with an agent, hoping someone will assist you.

Needless-to-say, I am still waiting for the second part of the order to arrive. It only took three messages on the store’s site, three messages to the company that ships the item’s site and four back-and-forth e-mails with a team member to have them resend what wasn’t sent in the first place.

Then there is the matter of my trying to order a tray of tiramisu from a company.

That didn’t work out at all. My mother had gifted me the dessert as a Christmas present. It was the best tiramisu I have ever had. The only problem is that it costs around $100 by the time you add in the shipping.

Now, I never purchase anything for myself — with the exception of makeup and hairspray.

I am not one of those girls who goes out and buys herself shoes or handbags or clothes for every season. My money has always gone to either bills or my children. To this day, that is still the case. So, for me to purchase something for myself is extremely rare.

Anyway, I thought to myself, you know what? I’m going to buy some of that tiramisu because I love it. And I did. I went online (there’s that lesson, again) and bought the tiramisu. I even purchased the $20 flat fee where I can get free shipping for the remainder of the year on all of my purchases.

Well, the tiramisu was sent out on a Monday and supposed to arrive on Wednesday. FedEx did not deliver it until Friday. By the time I received it, it was nothing but mush. Most of it had attached itself to the lid.

So I “chatted” with someone from the company and they were kind enough to send me a replacement. Again, the order was supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but a U-Haul truck didn’t deliver it until Thursday afternoon. Again, mush. How my mother received her’s intact is beyond me.

So once again, I messaged the company and they did give me a 50 percent refund. That was the end of it. Basically I paid $50 for nothing. Perhaps this is why I wasn’t meant to purchase anything for myself.

Then there was the matter of trying to get an exterminator to come and eliminate a flea problem due to acquiring a kitten left abandoned in the woods.

I was charged several hundred dollars by someone who basically squirted a liquid around the room and didn’t return for a follow-up, as promised. I won’t go into the details, but am happy to tell you which company you should never hire if you need an exterminator.

Why is it so hard to find a business that can be trusted? Maybe it’s me and I just choose the wrong places. Whatever the case, I am learning a lot this year.

Another thing I have been learning more and more about every week, is about you. I have received voicemails, e-mails and in-person comments from people telling me they faithfully read and love this little column right here.

I find it unbelievable there are people who take time out of their Sunday to faithfully read this. It actually makes me very nervous.

Because before, I would just talk freely about my life.

About my day. But now, I feel a stress I can’t describe. I’m worried I will disappoint someone if I don’t come up with a good-enough article. That if I say something uninteresting or my words no longer keep your attention, I will have failed. Should I fail, I am sorry.

A lady called and left me a message the other day. I was sick and didn’t return the call. She phoned again the next morning, so I returned her call. And she told me something that I will never forget. She spoke about last week’s column where I wrote about faith, hope and love. She told me in regards to my comment “love, for me, is not a concept,” that this is not the case, because God loves me. Always.

And that is something we sometimes forget. When things aren’t going our way, when our day is a struggle and it seems as if the world is against us, when times are tough and we feel no one is even listening, we forget that part.

I am glad she was persistent in calling. I needed that reminder.

She is right.

I know people are the ones to let us down … not God. So, thank you for reminding me of a lesson so important.

Sometimes, we all can forget that God loves us. But it’s a pretty good lesson to have to relearn time and time again. Isn’t it?

(Stenger is the community editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times newspapers. She can be contacted at jstenger@heraldstaronline.com)