Poem – If I Had My Life to Live Over – By Age 85 Woman

 

 

 

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 take more trips.
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 live 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 people who never go anywhere
without a
thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat
and a parachute.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot
earlier in the
spring and stay that way later in the fall.

If I had it to do again, I would travel lighter next time.
I would go to
more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more
daisies.

By Nadine Stair (age 85)
from Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul

Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty
Hansen

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