What if I didn’t get the tree up earlier?
What if I had wrapped the presents earlier?
What if I had taken the biscuits out earlier so I wouldn’t have burned the bottoms?
What if I had timed the dinner a littler better so half wasn’t cold and the other half burning hot?
What if I forgot to put the pie in?
What if I forgot to set the table?

As I ponder all these “What Ifs?” I have to remember that it will all be okay tomorrow. I did get the tree up two weeks ago. I wrapped all the presents a couple of days ago. I did burn the biscuits this morning, but now I know I must use a different pan! And I made tomorrow easy. I am making lasagna, garlic bread, and salad, so no oven crowding! And, after baking so much stuff, I bought a frozen Marie Calendar’s cherry pie and can pop it in the oven while we’re eating! (And, we’ll have some of the baked goods!) And no…I haven’t set the table yet…. Too many Lego villages and people are on top of it! The village will move to another table soon!

I am taking a breath and going with the flow right now. I am encouraging others to do the same. After all, we can reduce our stress if we think of the end picture, not all the little stuff. Just enjoy the meal with our family and friends.

The “What if?” question has been on my mind of late and I wonder how many others are thinking about it, especially at this time of year. Many of us reflect on past choices, but we all need to analyze our past decisions to learn from them, not make the same mistakes over and over again. We don’t necessarily have to fret over all of them. If we all can decide that our past decisions led us to this is the path we need to be on right now, in this present moment, we have learned from our past collective of choices. Our past should hopefully allow us to make better choices in the future.

Over these past few years, I have attempted to process my feelings of regret about missed opportunities (woulda/shoulda) by looking at what I have now. I had a distinguished career even though I still wish I could have done more (alas, the stifled environment of our time didn’t allow us to do all the things we needed to do). But, overall, I may not be able to work within government at my age, but I can still discuss and write about problems and help people believe there might be a teensy-weensy bit of hope for their future. I have tried to manage my regret and any perceived opportunities in my past. I have explored where my decisions have led me to this very day. I am attempting to foster creativity and a sense of openness to new experiences for everyone around me. I have processed that the path I’ve taken is the right one for me. Today, I am focusing on the new choices that shape my current reality. I’m not perfect, but I have had a surprisingly good life right now and try to remember that every day. I have a wonderful family, a nice house, food, and friends. And that’s all we all need for now. For more information on our life decisions and where they take us see this article:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jan/02/the-big-idea-could-you-have-made-different-choices-in-life
Be happy everyone and stay in the moment! Love and Hugs to All!