We can’t relive the past, but we can learn from it

As a parent, I am always trying to do the right thing for my kids, but even the best-laid plans go awry. If you are a parent, then you know that we are winging it most of the time, and if you aren’t on that journey of parenthood, then you have at some point been on the receiving end of some improv parenting.

Hindsight is 2020 they say, and while that is a bit of a stretch, we do learn from the results of our actions and experiments. This hindsight view is always there, looking back on what we did or did not do, and applying some level of approval or disapproval on those actions or inactions.

We don’t need to dwell in these hindsight views; we only need to acknowledge them and take the token of insight they offer. Sounds easy right? For me, I’m still learning how to have that acceptance of the past, especially when the results of those decisions had ripple effects on those I love.

As a child, we have little control over the bigger trajectory of our life; where we live, what school we attend, even our options for food. Maybe that is why we learn so much from children because children have no choice but to develop resilience, adaptability, and flexibility. This gives me solace as a parent to know that my role is to do the best I can in love for my children, and hope that the love overrides the faults.

As we leave adolescence behind, we take hold of our trajectory in life through our thoughts and actions. We learn from the past and take from it what it offers. We frame our futures and all the while creating an impact on the lives around us.

The hope of the future lies in how we live the present. I cannot force my children into a mold of what I think they should be, but I have a responsibility to them to live in fullness and appreciation of life. That commitment to embracing love, hope, and gratitude will hopefully inspire them to do the same.