If I had
My Life To Live Over
by
Barbara Philbrook
If I had
my life to live over, I would listen more attentively,
to whomever took the time to speak to me.
I would
still invite friends over to dinner even though the
carpet was stained,
and still my children would have all their friends in,
never feeling restrained.
Popcorn
and drinks would be in the living room too,
as we all sat in front of the fireplace singing hymns as
we all loved to do.
Again I'd
teach my children to sew and crochet,
just as Nana taught me, as she told stories of her
younger days.
Back then
we held our children on our laps, in a car,
I'd give speech lessons by talking about everything we
saw, whether our destination was near or
far.
There were
treasured items I saved instead of enjoying them back
then,
I would use and enjoy them if I had the chance again.
I would
change my participation habits in the games my teens used
to play,
I would not have read so much, having my nose in books a
good part of every day.
Though I
noticed every movement, every ruffle or kick in their
developing stages,
I wish I'd kept a journal for each, filling all the
pages.
I am so
very grateful for the kisses given to and received by
them,
and the "I Love You"s I said over and over
again.
I once got
a call from a married daughter just to say,
Thank You for loving me and telling me so every day.
Mama no
one else in the place I work was raised with those loving
words,
I had to call and thank you because of their stories I
heard.
On second
thought I don't need to have a second chance at the life
God has given to me,
the first time was pretty terrific as I look back "I
like what I see".
 
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