 "Do you have any regrets?" It's a question that is often thrown out to celebrities during interviews, and more often than not the response is some version of, "Not really...No. Because everything that has happened to me has made me the person that I am today."
Umm, is it just me or does this drive anyone else crazy? If a regret is defined as something we have done that, given the chance, we would go back in time and undo, or do it differently, then I have a million regrets. A million hurtful words I've spoken in my lifetime that I wish I could un-speak. Countless times I've lost my temper and acted selfishly. Things I've done that I would love the opportunity to undo. Things I should have done but didn't, and would love a do-over. Regrets: how can anyone say they don't have any? I'll lighten it up a bit since I tend to get deep and serious real fast. I regret that I never ate an avocado until I was in my twenties. In my defense, I don't think they sold avocados in northern Michigan where I grew up. And I didn't immediately love guacamole the first time I tried it. But I loved chips, so I kept dipping them, and before long I was totally, head--over-heels in love with avocados. Like, how could I have lived all of these years without you? I put them on salads and sandwiches and toast. I think one of the best things you can eat is a flame-toasted corn tortilla with avocado and a sprinkle of salt. (I'm hungry now...I'll be right back.) Also, I regret so much that I waited until I was 47 years old to try dry shampoo. How could I not have known how fantastic this product is? All those years I was living in ignorance with oily hair, not knowing what I was missing. Not knowing how much I needed avocados and dry shampoo in my life. (I wonder if a diet high in avocados tends to make your hair more oily...) But seriously, the good news about regrets is grace. Grace takes our failures, redeems them, and makes them part of our story. Grace reminds us that we are forgiven. That we are loved apart from our performance or what other people think of us, Maybe this is what people mean when they say they don't have regrets because everything that has happened to them has made them who they are. Or maybe not. I only know that for me, I am grateful every single day for God's grace that covers my shortcomings, and for opportunities to make things right when I get them wrong. I'm thankful I can live free from the guilt of regrets even while acknowledging their existence. (Did I mention how much I regret that we arrived late for my aunt's wedding years ago? The wedding was in Minnesota and we got lost on the way to the church. Worst. Feeling. Ever. And also, that my wonderful aunt is one of the most gracious women I know, so...grace extended, grace received.) How perfect that I married a man from Mexico. Avocados are to his family what Ranch dressing is to mine. My daughter made avocado brownies a couple of weeks ago. They were weird, but it shows how very much we love avocados in our house. And with three daughters, it was only a matter of time before dry shampoo found its way into my bathroom. Comments are closed.
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