Personally, I’ve never been able to understand when people say they have no regrets. I mean how can they be human and not have regrets?

Perhaps it’s me and all the foolish things I’ve done, or things I haven’t done or said.

When my dad had cancer, we had planned to spend new year’s eve with him. At the last minute we got an invite to a party. It sounded fun and exciting. I was young and stupid. So where did we go for New Years Eve? The party.

It was to be my Dad’s last new year’s eve. There were no more to share with him.

After he died, and I was packing away his calendar, he had written a ‘Things To Look Forward To List’ as part of his cancer therapy — at the very top he had written —

So happy to be celebrating with Michelle tonight. Feeling joyful. Life is good.

Talk about gut wrenching regret right there. I howled. I am still crying as I write these words. What I would give to celebrate just 5 minutes with my dad now.

I think it’s a lot to do with how nature intends. The younger generation are supposed to be young, careless, a little thoughtless, brave, adventurous and busy. Life as a 20–30 something year old, is so busy and pressured and it’s all you can do, to just get through the day.

The older generation is supposed to have time, to reflect and to work on all those regrets in the little time left.

Our parents understood and loved us and forgave us our youthful stupidity and arrogance, just as we do with our own children. We’re just a lot better at communicating with our children than that generation was with us. (It might have something to do with us trying to correct all those regrets!)

I share your feelings of regret-your story was beautifully written, poignant and touched my heart.