Have you ever had regrets?
Have you ever wished you could turn back time and change something you did or said?
If the answer to these questions is no, I applaud you for being such an awesome human being.
If you answered yes, then this is for you.
Contrary to popular belief, we cannot control our time here on earth. We can be the healthiest person on the planet and still leave this earth in a second if it is our time. Only God knows our final day on earth.
Being aware of that, we must live each day like it could be our last. By that I don’t mean doing crazy things. I mean make sure your family and friends, the ones most precious to you, are never left with angry words between you.
We all get angry with our family members. It’s human nature to disagree. Things will happen that will make you angry but… it doesn’t mean your love is gone. At that moment you may feel that but as times passes, you may even forget why you got so mad.
During these times, watch your words. What if you said something to your spouse, your parents, or your child that was really unkind and they left with those unkind words in their thoughts. The next day you get a call that they are dead, would you have regrets?
My husband died unexpectedly in a car accident 9 years ago. We hugged and kissed that morning as usual and within 30 minutes after he left I got the call of the accident. I have always been thankful we had a great last night together and a pleasant morning too. I had no regrets just sadness because he was gone.
A friend of mine that I met through Social Media just lost her 9 year old daughter a week ago. She fell out of a kayak at Lake Michigan and as of this moment, her body has not been found. What a Tragedy for this family. I can’t even imagine what they are going through. I pray there are no regrets here. Do you think they woke up that day thinking this was the last day she would be alive? She was 9 years old and healthy so I am sure that never crossed their mind.
Make each day count.
Stay connected with your loved ones.
Call your parents often, even daily as they grow older. Forgive them if they have disappointed you.
Remember, everyone will die sometime so don’t put off telling someone you are sorry or that you forgive them. Bitterness will hurt you the most.
Forgiveness is the best choice anyone can make.
Will you have regrets if your mom or dad died today?
Will you have regrets if your child died today?
Will you have regrets if your spouse died today?
You may not have tomorrow. You may only have today.
This was weighing heavy on my heart and I wanted to share. Comments are welcome.
17. June 2010 at 6:07 am
Hi Beverly,
I know this is a serious posts, but sometimes you need to hear this to remember just how special your parents and children are. I know I was not able to be around my father when he died. And my mother died so suddenly it was a shock. So I know I’ll never be able to ask them questions. I write letters to my son just for that reason. Kids don’t think their parents have a life (but they do) so I write letters to him so that he’ll have a “history” of sorts to read long after I’m gone. Thank you for this post, sorry to hear of your loss, and your friends – I hope they’re okay.
17. June 2010 at 6:58 am
Thanks.I am awesome these days .God blessed me with a wonderful husband.My friend not so good.Still ahven’t found her daughter.I love your idea of writing letters.My children are grown but it is never too late.Thanks for the idea.
17. June 2010 at 7:20 am
Beverly,
You’ve done a great job of bringing this touchy area to light. Your comments do bring to mind that life does not stop for anything. You never have a chance to turn back time. Stay in that open place.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject.
Val
17. June 2010 at 1:52 pm
Thanks Val. I appreciate your feedback. I hope this might help someone.
17. June 2010 at 2:25 pm
Thanks you just reminded me to call my mom more often, thank you.
Michael
17. June 2010 at 2:59 pm
I lost my mom and dad withing 10 months of each other. No regrets because I was a good daughter.Live each day as if it were your last.Let the dash between your birth and death mean something.Let your loved ones know they are appreciated by you. Thanks for commenting.
18. June 2010 at 9:58 am
WOW Beverly that was a very powerful message. I think about that often and sometimes I do find it challenging to stay connected with they bring you down. But I still call still visit. My heart and prayers go out to your friend who lost there daughter. My daughter is nine, I could not imagine having that happen or even think that could happen, but your right we must make the most of every minute we have, as we never know when our time is up. Thank you for that message. Have a wonderful weekend.
18. June 2010 at 10:14 am
A sad time.Remembering to always forgive and put it away is the better choice.Thanks for stopping by.
18. June 2010 at 11:23 am
Hi Beverly,
Love your new blog! It’s awesome!
Thanks for this amazing message. We need to live a life of forgiveness in all that we do so that it will allow us to live without regret. This idea of forgive and forget is the wrong approach in my opinion. It should be forgive, let go, and let God take over from there. Life is too short to live with regrets. Here’s to living every great moment of it to the fullest!
Make it a great day!
God Bless,
-ed
18. June 2010 at 11:41 am
You are so right Edward. God will take over if you have him in your heart. Thanks!
18. June 2010 at 11:39 am
Great reminders Beverly to live each day in such a way that we can move forward with our relationships. Nearly everyone who suffers a tragedy comes back to what happened within the relationship. We can always build from where we are at…even if things are not great right now.
Looking back at the day should leave a smile on our faces…not regrets that we missed opportunities to connect with each other.
18. June 2010 at 11:40 am
I agree Bruce. Thanks for commenting.
18. June 2010 at 2:14 pm
Beverly,
You are so right on this topic. I lost my father on my 12th birthday at 10:35 am. Lost my mother at age 29. Losing family is always tough. You never know what you could’ve, should’ve or might say before hand.
I agree with you, just do it , daily keep in touch with thos eyou love.
Bill
18. June 2010 at 6:38 pm
Thanks Bill.Both of my parents died the same year.I was there for them both and was so happy I was.We don’t know when our time will be or anyone else.
18. June 2010 at 2:18 pm
Beverly,
Such a heartbreaking tragedy, I cannot even imagine losing your own child. I really appreciate you sharing from your heart b/c you are right, we don’t know how much longer any of us have here, and we need to make each day count ~ to not get too busy in our lives that we don’t talk to our parents or children enough to let them know how much they mean to us and how much we love them. It was good for me to hear this as a reminder of what should always be most important in my life. Thanks!
Christine
18. June 2010 at 6:40 pm
You are welcome Christine.The saying “never go to bed angry” I say never leave the room or house without resolving any issue or at least say I love you before you leave. Thanks for commenting.
19. June 2010 at 12:10 pm
Hi Beverly,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I tell my Mum and Dad I love them every time I speak to them, because it’s just so much easier while they are alive. Did you ever hear the song The Living Years (Mike & the Mechanics). The lyrics are such a big lesson just like your post.
This has just given me an idea for my next post so thank you again.
Keep smiling
Chris
19. June 2010 at 3:20 pm
I am not familiar with that song.I will look it up.Thanks for the comments.Let me know when you publish your next post.I would love to see it.
Beverly
20. June 2010 at 3:55 pm
Thanks Beverly! It’s great to reflect on life instead of rushing through like we tend to do. I’ve had some things happen in the past that I do regret happened. I’ve asked for forgiveness and know that I’ve received it, but those lessons learned I think have made me into a better person. I just hope others regrets aren’t so serious that they can’t make amends. Thanks!
23. June 2010 at 11:21 am
If we all treat others like we want to be treated then I feel regrets would be fewer.The “Golden Rule”….
22. June 2010 at 8:06 pm
Regrets…. Hmmmm Yes, I have many, but the key is to not focus on them. It’s kind of like not looking at the bugs on the windshield. Don’t look at the problem, look at your life!
Thanks Beverly for this great post. It really hit home. Really made me think.
23. June 2010 at 11:17 am
I am hoping it makes many people think.But you are right,we shouldn’t focus on them. Better to not have any.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are doing well.
25. June 2010 at 4:15 pm
Beverly,
Thanks for such a deep post. I don’t know that it’s about regret as much as about not taking people and situations for granted. Next week is the 18th anniversary of the death of my stepdaughter, Anique. It’s painful, yet I don’t regret a moment of the time we had and we squeezed everything we could into the last years of her life, knowing that it would not be a long one (she died at age 11). I agree, we definitely must appreciate what we have while we have it AND verbalize it.
Adam
30. June 2010 at 5:10 am
I agree with you Adam.We need to appreciate the bad with the good in everyone.Forgiveness will help with not having regret.
6. November 2010 at 4:18 am
Hi Beverly,
sorry to hear about loosing your husband, even though it was 9 years ago!
When we regret something, it is like we are expecting from ourselves to be perfect every second of the day.
We are constantly learning. Yes we can do our best and treat other the best we can on a daily basis.
Thank you for the post and video!
Have a great day!
Yorinda
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