Memories of what could have been

In my Mom's later years she did talk a lot about missed opportunities.My Mom took off for New York to become a model right after high school. She did not pursue a career in her field but did relish the freedom and the experience of being in New York for a period of time. She often reflected back on this time as a high point in her life. I asked her if she regretted not going on with modeling. She said she did not but I am struck by the fact that she often went back there in her memories and stories. She divorced my Dad and they tired to reunite a couple of times and she did regret not getting back together. My Dad was the love of her life.
She talked a lot about regrets without really saying they were regrets. I wish I had asked her specifically about those (regrets). So, if your out there reading this ask your Mom if she has any missed opportunities she would like to revsit. We all have those and they tell us so much about our life. It is not that our life is less because of the choices we made...life is what it is ... and we are always richer for choices that taught us something. But, looking at these not chosen paths opens up some stories that do not often get told in the classic stories we hear from our Mothers. I learned how much my Mom loved my Dad from the stories that came out of a missed opportunitiy question. I also found out that settling for less than we thought we wanted is not all bad ... as it opens us up to be more sensitive to the heartbreaks of others...it all makes us more human. Talk to your Mom.