If I Could Do It All Over Again

Originally Written Between 2017-2020                              

 

I guess I don’t really know where to start.  All I know is that if I hadn’t had the wonderful upbringing with a loving set of parents and extended family of aunts and uncles, who knows where I would have landed? 

 

If I had gone to college instead of first working at 3M, I would never have met Judy Margl.  And, if I hadn’t had met Judy Margl, she would have never introduced me to Norm.  If I hadn’t had married Norm, I wouldn’t have the four wonderful children and three spectacular grandchildren that are the center of my universe.  

 

If I re-write my life history, it would be like I never existed.  I like who I am and the way my life has turned out.  Sure, there are times or experiences that I wish would never have happened (such as when a dog bit me on my face when I was five and I still have the scars to show for it…. or getting engaged at the early age of 18 to a young man I barely knew – but breaking it off in time when he mistreated me…. or allowing myself to become 100 pounds overweight for over 10 years and now having kept off those pounds for 11 years).  But, I learned from those mistakes and grew to become a better person because of those experiences.

 

I believe that there is no perfect person – or perfect way to live.  One deals with whatever is given to you.  Sure, one has to make choices and maybe the choice we make at a certain time is not the best.  But, good or bad choice – you just deal with it.  Instead of going to college at age 18, I chose to work a few years and after getting married and having my children, decided that I was now in the right frame of mind and right stage in my life to go back to school.  So, what could have taken me four years to accomplish, actually came to fruition 28 years later when I graduated on my terms and timeline.

 

I see the varied paths that my adult children have taken and I want to tell them what to do.  But, I don’t.  It’s like I can see the future in front of them and I don’t want them to make any mistakes.  I want them to have the perfect life.  I know they will stumble and fall and rise again – just like we all do.  It’s hard to keep my mouth shut and my tongue hurts from me biting it so often!  They have to learn from their own mistakes just like I did.  Their lives will be better for it.  But, knowing that will not stop me from worrying about them and trying to give advice without them catching on.

 

So, I take it one day at a time and see what life brings me.  My decisions as to what path to follow will vary depending on my mood, who I’m with, whether or not I am hungry, if I’m sick or tired, lonely, or having a great time.  Each day is different.  Bring it on!