“If I have my life over” by Belinda Emmett

(written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

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 a day..

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted into a rose before it melted in storage....

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 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 have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband...

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 sat on the lawn with my grass stains...

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life...

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime...