Recently, I saw a heading for an Internet article that read, "If only I"d bought that stock..." Well, sure, hindsight is wonderful! We all have it. But the line made me think: (86)
How much time do we spend thinking of the many "if onlys" in our lives
How many regrets flit through our thoughts Everyone harbors a few-if only I hadn"t missed this ; if only I"d found the time to do that ; (87)
if only I"d been first with that idea, instead of just a little too late.
"If onlys" are exercises in futility. I think it"s better to fill our reveries with all we are glad we did do. Such as, I"m so glad I met my husband. I"m so glad I was born in this time, in this place, to these parents. (88)
I"m so glad I have the loving extended family who have been among my greatest blessings.
I"m so glad I planted that spindly little magnolia tree 20 years ago. (89)
Now it lifts up its arms to the sky and fills my view with pink-and-white beauty
. I"m so glad my grandfather planted apple trees 100 years ago. They, too, are a wonder to behold in any season-alive with honeybees among the blossoms in spring, studded with burgeoning fruit in summer, and weighed low with their delicious rosy bounty in September.