Regrets? I have had a few...

I have been considering the moments in my life when things did not go my way; at times, opportunities just did not pan out. I mourned their loss and moved on. Was there an opportunity I missed that actually helped me in life? I have been searching this muddled mind of mine for a case where the fish that swam away might have actually swallowed me if I caught it in my net. Are there missed opportunities that actually were blessings? In considering this, it seems that they all were. I am extremely happy with the place I find myself today.

Though I wish I could claim it comes from some inner resilience or special grace, I know that this is just not the case. I lost at love, friendship, job opportunities, and in some cases more. However, tonight I find myself typing away, sitting on my comfortable couch, dinner bubbling on the stove. My family pops in and out of the living room with small questions and silly stories. It seems the opportunities that never were did no real harm.

But, I need only look at the headlines to realize if circumstance had placed me under different conditions, I would never have been able to weather so many little storms in relative comfort. For so many around the world, and here in our small corner, lost opportunities might mean deportation, incarceration, or worse. Those, that walk the razors edge, know that one missed step can cause a lot more than regret. The reason I lament so little is that I have been offered more than my fair share of chances. I wish all people were able say the same. True equality will mean that everyone has room to miss an opportunity, without fear of never having another one.