Hope and regret

By Mark Lane Submitted to Corner Post

As I sit at my desk working, sometimes silence is more conducive to my productivity. At other times, I prefer an open window letting in sounds of birds, rain and other reminders of life outside the walls. And occasionally, music playing softly in the background seems to be just the ticket, and now is one of those times. I wasn’t focused on listening, yet a snippet of lyrics caught my attention. The preceding words passed in and out of my head with little notice, but the line that struck me was, “What makes you grow old is replacing hope with regret.”

I know some “youthful” people whose chronological ages are wide ranging. Some have blown out lots of candles! But all of them certainly are what I’d call hopeful people. They know that they’ve been fortunate and blessed, and they fully hope (and expect) that more blessed days/moments lie ahead.

I also know some old folk who are far younger than me. For them, the good ol’ days have passed and won’t be back. Much of their attention is focused on shocking, depressing tragedies far away, involving people to whom they have no connection. Never mind the good things being done close to home by and for family, friends and neighbors.

Lord, help me and those around me never let despair and regret replace wonder and hope. Help me stay young at heart until I die. A vibrant, flexible, well-toned body may be too much to wish for, but I do wish to cling to a positive outlook and to share it with others.

(Song lyrics by Stephen Bruton from “Too Many Memories”)