Wednesday, November 30

Quote of the Day:  “Do not wait for ideal circumstances, nor for the best opportunities; they will never come.”   Janet Erskine Stuart

Yesterday, I included Erma Bombeck’s list of things she would do differently if she had the chance, in my blog and she inspired me to consider my own list.  I really do believe that for most of us, it’s not the things we have done that we will regret, but really the opportunities missed or not seized that we will look back upon and wonder what we were thinking.  There’s nothing like getting a disease diagnosis to get you thinking about what your life means and to make you evaluate your life thus far.  So here’s a start to my list: 

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER AGAIN 

I would have visited my sister Lynne in Oregon, would have spent more time on the phone with her, I certainly would have asked her more questions about how she was doing with cancer, I would have been a better sister, friend, human-being

I would have asked my Grandma Vernessa Reynolds so many more questions, what life was like for her, what she thought of this and that, and recorded a history of her life

I would have spent more time on the ground playing games with my children, less time cleaning up and trying to have a “perfect” house

I would have moved Nate from violin to piano and stopped torturing him to play an instrument he didn’t like.  Sorry, Nate!

I would have left the Christmas tree ornaments the exact way Maggie put them on the tree

I would have taken the time to watch the sunset on the ship in Hawaii rather than pack my belongings

I would have really listened to students rather than making assumptions-  I learned to do this more as a seasoned teacher and it paid off in relationships big time

I would have waited patiently in line rather than become frustrated with the person in front of me at the grocery store

I would have looked for the person who needed a friend in high school, rather than worry about myself

I would have believed in myself more, dared to talk to boys who I thought were out of my league 

I would have dared to stand up for a handicapped girl in junior high when a popular boy bullied her

I would have been more me and less someone else in junior high

I would have embraced and owned my family situation in life, rather than try to hide it or be embarrassed by it

I would have gone skiing with my family every Saturday rather than worry about cleaning a dirty house

I would have been a much more patient spouse, showing a kinder, more thoughtful attitude

I would have reached out more to others, opened myself up to everyone and tried to see the world from a different perspective

Nate (I hope he’s forgiven me), Maggie and Kate at Liberty Park on September 9, 2011, the day Lynne passed away