No Regrets Friday

As I'm headed into the weekend, I wanted to pass along something to you. And it comes to me by way of a thought this morning as I text to my son JonSpeed who's on Army deployment a long, long way away from SoCal. I also have this come up to me when Machine Gunner Chris goes on deployment. It's, "Do I have any regrets?"

In this case, it's that I didn't go see Lego Batman with him the weekend before he left. My Excuses: It was late; I had to wake up early in the morning to go on a long group ride; The movie thing was with my other two son's and a friend. And, most of all, I don't like going to see movies as a group activity - or at all. I know, it's a thing that I struggle with. The idea of "spending time together" in a darkened theater - not talking - with hundreds of strangers isn't, to me, "spending time together." I know the whole shared experience thing is valid but there it is. Now you know. 

They ended up not going and he still asked me. I could have gone alone with him but my "plans" got in the way. Opportunity passed and I'm now wishing I had gone. 

To you parents, and you kids: in the times when you're alone, you're not going to wish you had taken that bike ride you missed or that sleep that you had on your schedule or that job that doesn't care about you. You're going to wish you had spent more time with that person who's not there at the moment. 

To those like me who still have your parents. When they ask you to spend time with them, no matter how mundane it might be, silly it may seem to you, or inconvenient to your latest online gameplay, you should take the time to do whatever it is they're proposing. 

For most of us, time is the most expensive and powerful thing we have to give. But when a person you love is no longer around for an extended period of time - or for the rest of your time on earth - that expense and power will never bring them back.

So think of that as you begin your trip into the weekend. Adjust your plans accordingly and be flexible. No one's going to be perfect but, like me, you'll work at being able to see the balance of your relationship and know that you don't have many regrets. Don't make it about perfection but make it about progress. Put that iPhone down, turn that TV off, don't go into the office this weekend and actively think about what your daughter or son, mom, dad or friend is asking of you. And think about the future. 

I can tell you that you won't wish you had spent more time with the screen or the job. Those things will always be there. But with the person - every one dies. 

Let's have no regrets. No regrets.