One thing my dad regretted, he regretted not living to fullest. He spent time wondering what other people thought about him. Not taking some risks he knew he should have taken and taking others that he knew was a poor risk. In the end though, he lived a full and impactful life. He died quite poor in this life in terms of material wealth. But the legacy of love and meaning was more significant than I thought as multitudes of people have poured out their love and memories of him and the impact he had on their lives. Most of that meaning was silent and behind the scenes but it was there.
My dad taught me how to be a man. How to treat a lady and how to be a father. Even after we adopted our only kid at age 38, I went to him for fatherly advice. He will be missed.
As my dad got older, one thing he kept repeating to me was this; "live life, forget about what others think. Don't worry, just live, after all, life is for the living". It's this wisdom from my father that I want to hold onto in the coming days, weeks, months and years. That life is for the living. Don't hold back and don' spend a second in regret.
I have lots to be regretful about. Things I could have done differently or said differently. Those things are in the past and cannot be changed. I have carried a lot of regret and a lot of "what ifs' around for a long time. If my pop was here, he'd tell me again, to just let it go and get on with the business of living. And that's what I'm going to do.
A little Aerosmith for your early morning!