Life regrets.

I was asked the other day if I could change anything in my life what would it be. It could be anything. I thought for a minute. (That's about all I can do. One minute of thinking. )
I would worry less about the messes and focus more on the people that made the messes.
I would work less, love more, and learn everything I could.
I would go back in time and hold my babies close and realize they won't be babies for long.
I would listen to advice given to me by more experienced people and not wait till after disaster struck to say I should have listened.
I would never have picked up that first cigarette.
The question was then asked
"Knowing what you know now, that you would get divorced, would you have married your first husband?"
I would have. Up's and down's don't change the fact that I have my two beautiful children because of my marriage. I wouldn't exchange them for anything in the world.
"So no regrets? No people you would eliminate from the picture?"
Not one! Every person that has come into my life is another piece of the puzzle that has made me who I am.
Without those good and bad relationships, I would not have learned the life lessons I needed to learn.
It was an interesting conversation with a young woman half my age. I wanted to tell her 41 is not ancient, but then I remembered being her age. 41 does seem ancient. It seems like an unreachable age when you are in your early 20's.
So I smiled, and prayed that in some way this child before me would take into consideration my regrets and not make the same choices. She will.
She will get angry over spilt milk, dirty clothes, smudges on walls and tracks on floors.
She will groan when it is time to read bed time stories, and tuck her little one in.
She will miss it in a couple of years and wonder why she didn't stop to enjoy each precious moment.
I think this is the reason we get to have grandchildren. A second chance to enjoy every moment we didn't think about when we had our babies.
If I am wrong, so be it. I just know that I am taking every chance to rock Lily, sing her songs, and enjoy every giggle and smile sent my way.