Friday, April 27, 2012

“Regrets – I’ve Had a Few  ~  But Then Again, Too Few to Mention”


They say as you stare death in the face your life flashes in front of you. I don’t believe it! What I think happens to all of us whether we have an unfavorable diagnosis or just as we enter into the senior aspect of life we take account of what has occurred over the years. It’s a gradual process of remembering life from the time you were a small child until now as you remember the good times as well as the not so good times.

I know in my case I have replayed “highlights” of my life in my head lately and have wondered if there was anything I would have done differently and what the outcome of those changes would be as I sit here today.

Starting with childhood I have to say I had a great time growing up. Summers playing all day with my friends whether it was in the little kiddy pool we had in the yard, baseball in the alley, sitting on the stairs in the evening with friends, reading every book I could get my hands on from the library, swimming at the pool with friends, going to the lake with family and friends for picnics, fishing with my dad, hiking through the woods with my dad (which really was the forest preserve) and all the other summertime activities. We never went on big flashy vacations but managed to get away the 2nd week of August to Wisconsin to the lake or a resort.

Winters were spent going to school, ice skating at the park (one year mom even put a rink in the yard), sledding, building igloos, great holidays with family and friends (playing hangman on the paper tablecloth), doing arts and crafts and just being a kid with no pressures beyond making it to the next grade!

No - No Regrets here!

As I got older and through college I started my first “real” job at Marshall Fields. I met different people, developed friendships, did all the things you do at that age including going to clubs and bars, dancing and drinking all night (and getting up and going to work the next day), I caught the travel bug and started traveling to places from Las Vegas to Australia by myself because I had to see what was beyond my little world in Chicago. I re-met my husband Mark (we lived a block apart and went to the same grammar school), got married and continued our love of travel.

No – No Regrets here either!

By this time I started working for a company where I stayed 20 years, met and made so many friends I still talk to today, continued my love of travel, was mentored by a great man (Thanks Ray!) who pushed me to be my best and sent me to China to learn before it was the thing to do. That opportunity allowed me to be recruited by another company where I managed facilities in Mexico and China and continued to learn. This allowed me to be able to write for several magazines, be interviewed for major publications, teach seminars and eventually start my own business.

I’ve run marathons, participated in triathlons and have led a full and happy life.

No – No Regrets here!

As time continued I was once again recruited for another great company where I am today. - working with friends who are like family members. Of course with what I have been through the last 2 years my love of travel has been put on hold but I’m OK with that.

As you can see I have so much to be grateful for and not much in the regret area. I have a wonderful family, fantastic friends all over the world and although my health isn’t where I’d like it to be I’ve been lucky enough to wake up every morning so far.

So I’m sure by now your thinking OK, but there has to be something in your life you regret. Sure, the passing of my mom when I was 33 was hard. I wish I was a little closer to my two nieces (Courtney and Megan). But besides being diagnosed with this cancer I can’t really think of anything I would change. I am content with the life I built and am living. I am at peace with where I am and who I am today.

So, Regrets – maybe a few, but too few to mention.  I DID IT MY WAY!

My advice to you is to be happy with who you are and what you have accomplished in life. If you’re not happy with something change it now – don’t wait until it’s too late.


Keep on Dancin’ my Friends