The Way We Weren't

Memories never tell the full story.  They selectively choose the realities of our past.  Barbra Streisand sings "memories may be beautiful and yet what's to painful to remember we simply choose to forget."  This morning I was reflecting on my past.  My own hindsight happens to be 20/20.  I clearly remember the day I met my future wife.  The day I proposed to her on a blanket on the beaches of Maui is like yesterday.  I see my children running around on the miniature soccer fields with their friends.  These are all great memories, however, my memories also tell me of the way we weren't.  These memories stick around in my brain to teach me important lessons about what I am to become.  Here are some examples of the things my memories tell me I lacked:

1. Smart money moves.  I looked for short cuts.  Sometimes, I went out too far on a limb with my investment choices.
2. Good listening skills.  There were many times in my past when God used all kinds of ways to reach me, however, I was deaf to His voice and to the voices of others He sent to get my attention.
3. Leap-frogging over the "todays."  Too much focus on a future event detracts from the beauty today offers.

My memories caution me that past days are gone forever.  Those days are not to be re-lived.  They serve to teach me how to live "today" better.  I'm learning that my listening can improve with age.  I see the present value of each moment.  And it's not too late to become financially fit.  How about you?  What do your memories teach you?