Abby’s Diary: The Four Things you Never Get Back
In life there are four things that no matter how hard you try, want, or wish for you can never get them back. The people you have lost, the words you have said, the moments you’ve missed, and time after its gone.
The People you have Lost: Tomorrow April 29th will be six years since my mom passed away. I was 51 when I lost my mom to leukemia. For the last fifteen years of her life she lived along with my dad, husband and children in my home. When I look back on our time I treasure the gift of time she gave my children, so that I could pursue a career. I believe it’s one of the big reasons they turned out so well! I’ll never forget the look on her face when I took her on a company trip to Hawaii I had won! Never knew my mom liked pina-coladas so much. And at the end I’ll never forget when she called my name, cupped my face, looked me in the eye and said “Yours is the face I want to remember in heaven”. I loved, looked up to, and did everything I possibly could even as a young child to make her happy and give her what she wanted. If I could have her back now for just one moment, I’d like to ask her this “Do you know how much I loved you?” and “What is God and Heaven like? I guess I will have to wait another 30-40 years to get those questions answered, but in the meantime know that I appreciate everything you did, all the sacrifices you made, know all that you did without, and the impact you had on my life. Rest in peace mom and thank you!
Love with all your heart!
The Word’s You’ve Said: In my opinion, words are the most lethal of all weapons. Unlike a gun, bomb, or knife that will instantly kill you, words are harmful, and destructive, but leave you very much alive to deal with the wounds and pain that may scar over but never really leave you. Often times those that use words as a weapon use them over and over again causing the wound to go deeper into your soul and rip that scar tissue open over and over again so it never really heals, it becomes a slow death by a million cuts. When you are angry just walk away. You may not know all the facts, and it is not your role on this earth to judge someone else. There is only one judge that matters and He does know all the facts. If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.
Be the first to say I’m sorry!
The Moments We’ve Missed: As a working mom there were far too many moments I missed in my children’s life. Life is a fine balancing act of doing what needs to be done and doing what makes you happy. Everyone is guilty of this one to some degree or at some point in time. Know that this life is short, and unpredictable. In any given moment what was once there can be taken away in a heartbeat. As Dr. Coker of Life Thrive recently told me my biggest struggle in life will always be choosing between what is urgent and what is important. Make a list of the things and people most important to you and what makes you most fulfilled and make it a guiding principle for your happiness to choose those, over what can wait until later to get done.
Take nothing for granted!
The Time After Its Gone: Live in the moment, enjoy the journey and don’t worry about what happens next or where you will land. Learn to let go and understand that the greatest joy comes when you revel in the glory of every waking moment, not in planning your next step to success. Spend time with the people you love, let go of the people that zap you of energy. Change your attitude from I have to do something to I get to do it because every moment on this earth is precious, and so are the people in your life, but know that you too are special and deserving of all the goodness, joy, and happiness, that life has to offer, so take some time to love yourself more.
Appreciate every moment!
“Love with all your heart, always be the first to say you’re sorry,, take nothing for granted, and appreciate every moment!” - Abby Vega
