Letters from my younger self.

Wouldn't it be great to be able to go back and leave notes for your younger self - think of the possibilities, warn the younger you about those disastrous decisions - like that perm, REALLY, if I'd only known then what I knew after it was finished!!! Or that truly awful boyfriend, why did I waste that amount of time and tears?  The possibilities are endless.  

Would we concentrate on the big or the little decisions in our life and would we still be the person we are today?   Maybe it is more important to try and pass some of this wisdom on – well maybe!  So I am going to think carefully about some of the decisions I've made and try to work out which ones I would recommend and which I wouldn't.

Rather than lessons to my younger self maybe I should think of them as lessons from my older self to my children – if they want to listen. 

I think if I had had a chance to visit my younger self and give some sound advice the first thing I would probably have recommended was the importance of not taking anything for granted.  It is an often-quoted truism that no one ever goes to their grave wishing they had worked more!  Unfortunately, it's also true that work, either paid or unpaid, does need to be done and the process can take up more time than we would like, but I'll keep this one on top of the list.  

Do we have to keep her?

Over the next few weeks, I am going to consider the lessons I'd like to tell my children - in fact – I think I will call it - Advice from an Interested Mum! 

So first piece of advice - Never take anything for granted, not your health, or your friends or the society you live in - join in, take part.  

There is a song that captures this wish beautifully and the lyrics of this song give a voice to my wish for my children - my wish for them - I hope you have a wonderful life, filled with love, peace, joy and moments that take your breathe away.  I hope you always have something to strive for but still are comfortable and happy.  I hope you are able to enjoy life and see the beauty that surrounds you every day and I encourage you to be open to others and to things outside your control and if the opportunity for something more outside of your comfort zone comes along, then grasp it - Dance in your own life.  

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leaves you empty-handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance 
and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance...I hope you dance...

http://www.elyrics.net/read/l/lee-ann-womack-lyrics/i-hope-you-dance-lyrics.html - for the full lyrics.

Songwriter(s):Mark Daniel Sanders, Tia Sillers
Copyright:Sony/ATV Melody, Choice Is Tragic Music, MCA Music Publishing A.D.O. Universal