Give your flowers now!

Anne Frank said “dead people receive more flowers than living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude”.
I believe she was right. Regret can be such a negative influence to us if we allow it to be. We are always telling ourselves., I shouldn’t have done that, I shouldn’t have said that, I shouldn’t have been late…..or on the flip side, I should have done that, I should have said that….

Regret makes us question our decisions good and bad. We are always analyzing our choices by the outcome rather than trusting and believing we did the right thing, regardless of the outcome.

When my grandmother died unexpectedly I was forced to make some tough decisions. The day of the funeral I was scheduled to fly to Honduras with my husband on our first missionary trip. I agonized in prayer about what I should do. The trip had been planned for many months and of course funerals are usually not planned in advance. I knew in my heart I did not want to live with regret about the choice I was about to make. I made my decision after many tears of sorrow and much prayer. I decided to go to Honduras as planned. I knew my grandmother knew that I loved her. I had proved that love while she was alive. Although she lived in Pennsylvania about 7 hours away we still visited as often as we could and kept in touch. I had no regrets about not attending the funeral because the funeral wasn’t what mattered. What was important was while she still had life in her body.
I felt much gratitude for my grandmother that day as I was on the plane. I believe I inherited my love of plants and crocheting from my grandmother and I just filled my mind that day with happy memories of all the time I was able to share with her. She was also an inspiration to me as I watched how she overcame a huge physical handicap. She had a stroke while in her early 50’s that left her completely paralyzed on one side. She couldn’t crochet anymore but as I watched her peel potatoes and make pies with one hand it was a constant reminder that regrets can be challenged. She never looked back but pressed forward with her handicap.

I had a dear friend who was filled with discouragement when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I went over to her house and told her that none of us has a promise of tomorrow. We could be killed by a car while crossing the street! She thanked me many times over the next 12 years as she had decided to live out her days without regrets of having this disease but enjoying all the joys that still remained. Ironically, she didn’t die from Parkinson’s.

If we have regrets in our lives that can still be remedied then we need to do so while there is yet time. Is it possible that the person you can’t stand can actually become your friend and ally? Can you send flowers to express your gratitude now while the person is still alive to enjoy them? What about a simple apology that can change the course of a relationship? God forgives us and loves us continuously. He expects us to demonstrate and manifest that love to one another. Let our gratitude be greater than our regrets.