"IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER "
By Erma Bombeck

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
     
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and            
worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire
in the fireplace.
     
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble           about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a           
summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
     
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it      
melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried            about grass stains.
    
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
     
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical,       
wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
     
Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like       you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who Do love us.  Let's think about what God has done for us.
     
And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally,       
physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually. Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and then it's gone.