A few years ago a middle-aged man told me about a regret that was troubling him. He regretted not getting to know his children when they were growing up. And what’s funny about this was that he lived in the same house as them for decades. Work dominated his life. He worked in the office and brought his office home.

Often we take our families for granted. We cannot change the past but it’s a pity to let it throw a shadow over the rest of our lives. But we can colour this day brilliantly yet. I advised him that it wasn’t too late to get to know his children better now.

There is no point in wishing and hoping about things that we have the ability to change. Many of us are spending more time at home than ever before. This suits some people and is a major area of stress for others. However, it does present us with a wonderful opportunity to reach out to the people closest to us. We can create golden memories to reflect on when we are further down the road. Carrying regrets can tire and burn us out. It’s much better to take charge of the precious time that we have at our disposal NOW!
(C) Shane Martin