Righting wrongs, mending hearts

Over the past several weeks, I’ve initiated a concerted effort to make amends with people I’ve hurt, owning up to my wrongs—taking ownership for unkind words and broken promises (see ‘Turn the page to begin anew’). Perhaps you are convinced someone close to you betrayed you and, without seeking any kind of validation, you succumbed to rash assumptions and drastic measures. Then, too late, you realized your erroneous thinking. It really doesn’t matter who was to blame because, in the end, it takes at least two. And love refuses to demand its own way. Consequently, all you can do is accept your personal role in the situation and ensure that your actions, moving forward, coincide with your words. In time the door to reconciliation might open but, until then, I suggest you offer up forgiveness and goodwill. When we accept responsibility, it doesn’t expunge our wrongs, yet it does free our hearts and minds from bitterness and regret.

Is there a wrong you need to right today?

Image courtesy of cbenjasuwan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

A sobering wake-up call

[Image credit: Daniel St.Pierre]

A week or so ago, a friend of the family went into cardiac arrest, resulting in a coma.  The prognosis is grim.  The most sobering part of the story, personally, is the friend is my age.  And for all intents and purposes, a healthy individual.  He had been running an errand and simply collapsed.  That could be me.  Or someone close to me.  All these plans I have — my tasks for tomorrow, goals for 2012, dreams for Someday — only have meaning if I’m alive and kicking.  For me, it was like a brush with mortality (the proverbial wake-up call), and I can only hope I’m making the most of this very moment.  And the next.  Does my family know how much I love them?  Have I made amends where necessary?  Maybe now is a good time to tie up loose ends while I’m still able.  Because life can change in an instant and as hard as I try, that’s one thing I cannot control.

Have you ever experienced a wake-up call resulting in a changed outlook on life?