have you ever wished......

Have you ever wished that you could go back in life...to make the wrongs right, to be able to relive the good moments and hopefully erase the bad ones?

There have been times I wish I could. I had too many bad moments, however, and I am not certain that going back would be agood thing, yet there were some bright spots, too. If I could go back and sit in one of those bright moments, oh! What a gift that would be!

My bright moments were holding my newborn children, getting up with them in the middle of the night to feed them. Contrary to what many believe, for me, those middle of the night moments I would never trade. It was peaceful, sometimes I would sit by the light of the moon, (or "moom," as my firstborn called it!) and I would just revel in the sight of this tiny child, so dependent on me. At that moment, there were no worries, there were no wars or pain anywhere, it was a private time between me and that baby...and I had four babies, so it was indeed special!

The other special moments were finding that 'friend' who would stay with me for many years. It was taking delight in a perfect autumn day. Making a batch of cookies that turned out just right. Being in a room full of people and knowing that you were loved. No pretenses, just a warm secure feeling. 

And those moments included never being rich, but always knowing that I had "enough." God gave me my 'daily bread," and many blessings besides. God gives abundantly. Knowing now what I should have seen then, I could have given of myself even more, and still have had enough! The more of yourself you give away, the more you get in return. I have witnessed others who do this, many times. They have all the same features: a look of serenity on the face and an aura of peace all around them.

I will close this missive with a news bit I saw last night. A group of sea researchers were on the Sea of Cortez when they spotted a baby humpback whale near them. The baby was obviously in distress and was drowning. One of the researchers told the rest he was going in to see what he could do. It was dangerous, as the whale, even as a baby, is as large as a small ship! He swam close to the whale's eye, made contact and reassured the whale he was there. Then, after an hour of hard work, he and his crew were able to cut away the fishing net that had literally wrapped itself around the whale's lower half of it's body. The whale couldn't move it's tail enough to surface completely for air, which was why it was drowning. The whale, knowing it was now free, immediately swam a short distance away, then with a splash of joy, jumped high in the air! It waved it's fins, it slapped it's tail, all to the delight of these researchers, who knew they were responsible for this one small act. (Jacques Cousteau would have been proud!)  As one said, "in the grand scheme of things, it was 'just' a baby whale. But what impact would this one whale have on the rest of the ecological balance in years to come?"

So remember, as you look back at your fond memories...it was just one act...what effect will it have in the years to come? Live in your happy memories...and maybe, recreate them. 

You still have time..we all do. The trick is....how much time do we have LEFT?