What If?

*I originally wrote this blog last October and just never published it for some reason.  So, a year later, here it is:

Do you ever play the "what if" game? I know, I know. People always say: "Things happen for a reason" or "I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for such-and-such experience". But, what if...

Sometimes isn't it just fun to wonder and think about how things could have turned out if something had played out differently in our life?  Seeing people from my past always triggers a game of "what if" in my mind...What if I had kept the relationship with that person going just a little bit longer? What if that fight between that old roommate and I had never happened? What if I had told them what I really wanted to say? What if I had kept my mouth shut and NOT said what I did?

In life, many things are obviously out of our hands. There are many things that are out of my control and unavoidable. In those instances, of course, I have faith that God is in control and I will be taken care of. There are many things in my life that I can't change or control the outcome of.

I think back to many of my choices that I have made in life. Like all people, I have made some good choices and, like everyone, some poor choices. How differently would my life be if I had just made a different choice? Growing up, I was always a good girl. I wanted to please my parents. I wanted to do the right thing. What if I had made the choice to behave and act differently? What if I had chosen to hang out with a different group of friends?

Then there are superficial what-ifs: What if I had nicer clothes? What if I had more money? The list is endless.

What about big life events: What if I had chosen another major? What if the engagement hadn't ended? What if I had taken another job? What if I hadn't purchased a home?

Life will always be full of many what-ifs. It's a fun game to play, but in the end, the outcome is always the same. What's done is done. Decisions that have been made can't be changed.  Luckily, I'm happy with the way things have played out in my life.  They've made me the great little thing I am today.