A Few Things I'm Proud Of in a Life Without Regrets

Should I perish in some tragic accident, I shall rest peacefully knowing that I showed my kids how to live fully, and value their family and community.

I will never regret letting my toddlers eat off the good china. If we had company for dinner, it was a special occasion! We all celebrated together, even if the neighbours were just coming over for stew. No piece was ever damaged and the kids always loved having "fancy dinners."

I will never regret showing my children the lessons of charity. To give, to share and to honour your community is a critical citizenship lesson, in my humble opinion. Seeing my kids deliver Christmas Hampers, or even donate their old hockey sticks to the community centre, always makes me swell with pride.

I will never regret the time and money spent travelling with my children. Seeing the world and sharing the experiences brought us closer and gave us some amazing memories.

I will never regret baking cookies at midnight or hosting spontaneous dance parties. Even if it meant blasting the routine of bedtime or leaving a messy kitchen, it was so worth it. Family dance parties and kitchen limbo contests... well, that's some fun stuff.

I will never regret giving the kids a little spending money of their own, and showing them how to earn more. Chores are not evil. Helping to look after yourself, your home and your family is essential information. And hard work should be rewarded. Perhaps someday my kids will be employers and perhaps this lesson will resonate deeply.

I will never regret having animals in our house and in our lives. The doggie "siblings" were some of the first friends the kids had and they taught them so much about empathy, respect, responsibility, kindness, love and even health.  Some people say dogs are too much work. Well, for me, they complete a family. My house doesn't feel right without a dog.

I will never regret any money spent with their safety in mind. Whether it's a high end piece of hockey equipment or snow tires to take them to games safely, it's worth every penny. Insurance, bike helmets, seat belts and more were always in the budget. Keeping my kids safe, is, of course, priceless.

I will never regret any time spent writing. Whether it is in their journals, baby books, blogging here or even "I love you" notes in their lunches it will help them know who their mother is. And one thing they will know for certain, through my actions and words, is how much I love and cherish them.

I'll Toast That

I have a very special bottle of rum from The Bahamas. It's more like a liqueur really. You drink it neat, or on ice if you have to. But, it's best served chilled, an ounce at a time on rare and special occasions. I save it, rarely share it, and ration a bottle sometimes for more than a year.

You see, you can only buy it in The Bahamas. So I don't get all wild and crazy and start drinking it freely until I know the next flight back is booked. And right now, since there are no flights booked and no plans... the rum is strictly for special occasions only.

Tonight I cracked it open and poured a snifter of it. You see, I went skating tonight. Whoo hoo. No big deal right? Well, I fell on my ass.  Truthfully, I fell and smacked my elbow the first time. Then I got back up and kept going. And about a minute later, I tumbled backwards onto my butt. So why the rum? Because I had not fallen in probably 20 years. (Unless someone can correct me otherwise.) And I got back up and skated for another 45 minutes or so. At my age (LOL) that takes guts and deserves a reward.

I could ramble on about the outdoor ice quality in March, but I won't. I will note however, that after a lifetime in figure skates I've only used men's skates for two months now. I still kinda expect the pick to be there to push off with, or to catch me when I lose my balance. But, apparently not.

So, cheers:  To being old and still trying.