If I Had My Life To Live Over

I tore a page out of one of my mother’s magazines when I was 14 years old. This poem, attributed to Nadine Stair, was published when Ms. Stair was 85 years old. Somewhere around here I have that original page. Even at the age of 14 this poem hit home, and I have saved it and shared it throughout the years. It has hung on walls in every place I have called home.

Five years ago, as my friend Sherri lay dying of Breast Cancer at the age of 40, I read this poem to her though she lay unresponsive to my  voice or touch. I knew she would understand.

One lesson I have learned…I thought there would be time. Time to sit and have Tea and shortbread. Laugh. Talk about our gardens, our dreams, our needs that weren’t being met. Young enough to still think that someone else was supposed to take care of us, nurture us, heal our wounds.

The power is inside us. Not with someone else. Find your power inside yourself. Take care of yourself. Nurture yourself. Only you know what you need. What you crave. What you are missing in the middle of your being. What you have been denying yourself.

Thank you Nadine Stair for being timeless.

 

 

 

If I Had My Life To Live Over

 

I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.

I’d relax.

I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

 

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles,

but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

 

You see, I’m one of those people who lives sensibly

 and sanely hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had it to do over again,

 I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else.

 

Just moments, one after another,

instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without 

a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute.

 

If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

 

If I had my life to live over,

I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dances.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.