Midlife—Gen X and beyond—comes with a strange kind of wisdom, doesn’t it? We know more now than we ever imagined we would. I think back to being 13, absolutely convinced I had life figured out. Boy, was I wrong.
By the time you hit 45 and up, you’ve lived enough life to understand how the world really works. You’ve probably walked through loss—death, divorce, major life changes. Loss is never easy, even when we know it’s coming. We expect that living things will eventually pass away, but divorce? I certainly didn’t expect that. And while both are loss, they’re different kinds of heartbreak.
We learn through school, through work, through relationships, through simply waking up and trying again. Life is one long education, and honestly, I’m grateful for it. I want to keep learning for as long as I’m here.
And our older generations? They deserve so much more appreciation than they get. My dad passed away when I was 19—he was 71—and I wish I’d had the chance to sit with him as an adult and ask him everything he knew. All the stories. All the lessons. All the wisdom I didn’t know to ask for yet.
As one year ends and another begins, I find myself looking back. Did I make the right choices? Did I do the things I should have done?
Oh, hell no. Not even close.
There are moments I look back on and barely recognize myself. But that was still me—a younger version who hadn’t learned what I know now. I have regrets. Plenty of them. And honestly? Not a ton of proud moments.
Some of my bad decisions still haunt me. As a Christian, I’ve asked God for forgiveness, but sometimes forgiving yourself is the hardest part. I know I’m not the same person I was then. I wasn’t a bad person—I just made some bad choices. Haven’t we all?
And that’s what I want to talk about with you.
If you made a list of your regrets or bad decisions… How long would it be? What would be on it? What did those moments teach you?
Some of our lists would probably overlap. Some would be completely unique to you.
I would genuinely love to hear your stories. Share as much or as little as you want. If you want me to share your story in a future post, I will. If you want it kept private, I’ll honor that too. Just let me know whether you want your name included or not.
And when you share, tell me your age or generation. I want to understand what different seasons of life have taught each of us.
Let’s learn from each other. Let’s talk about the things we wish we’d known sooner. Let’s make this a space where honesty is welcome and wisdom is shared.
I’m listening.
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