No Regrets

Sometimes it takes a painful loss to serve as an important reminder to live life each day as if it's our last.

We attended a funeral this past weekend. There were tears of relief for the end of her suffering, tears of grief for the loss of one so loved, and tears of regret for things not said or not done while she was still alive. It is those tears of regret that will haunt us for the rest of our lives, and that could've been so avoided.

Bottom line: we are indeed a selfish lot.

We judge other people and deem them inferior because they are different than we are. We keep tallies of who gets what and who said something that we didn't like. We elect to discontinue a relationship because of misunderstandings.

These days families are spread out across the world. Yet we procrastinate keeping in touch because our own life is so busy. We get so wrapped up in what we do and what we want that we neglect the needs of others. We fool ourselves into believing that we have plenty of time to "do it later."

Then it's too late.

How often do we take our loved ones for granted? The very people we need the most are the same ones we treat the most off-handedly. Why? Because we know they'll love us unconditionally. They'll always be there. or so we think.

What makes it okay to snap at someone we love because we've had a bad day at work or because we didn't get enough sleep the night before? How often do we fail to remember things that are important to our spouses, parents, or children because we're so focused on what's important to ourselves? What makes us attentive to our acquaintances and colleagues yet oblivious to the needs of our family members? Why would we hurt someone we've vowed to "love, honor, and cherish for the rest of our lives?"

To take it a step further, why would we let anger fester and overtake our relationship with someone we love? We find fault; we nitpick; we judge; we demand; we withhold affection; we are inconsiderate; and for what? So that when they are gone, we can live with regret for the rest of our lives?

It is up to us to appreciate and cherish the people who make up our safety net every single day. We must tell them how much they mean to us, and then walk the talk. We must treat every day as if it were their or our last. Finding fault or being negative only causes regrets in the long run. Behaving with disrespect or dishonor will plant a cancer on our soul. Then, I say, we get what we deserve.

It takes so little effort to be kind. Often it is only habit that makes us selfish. Perhaps we just need to be more accepting and flexible. We definitely need to listen more and to pay more attention to what's going on around us.

We only have one life. One chance here on earth to get it right. One opportunity to learn from the many experiences we encounter. That includes the people we encounter as well. At any given moment, our sojourn here could come to an end. Why, then, do we fail to appreciate those whom we cherish while we have the chance?

Giving feels so much more rewarding than receiving.

I plan to do much better and hope to have no regrets.