ON SECOND THOUGHT – Sometimes You Don’t Get Second Chances
Do you ever have those weeks you wish you could start over again? You know you can’t but you wish you could be transported back to last Sunday night before you blew out your sweet pea scented candles, laid back in bed and dreamt away. Who knows, maybe a little change in your routine could impact the course of your week. But no. There is no rewind button or do-overs in life.
The last week and a half were one of those I wish I could undo completely. It felt like every day was throwing a different punch my way, breaking my every bone and then returning for a rematch the next day. The blows came in different ways. Some were in the form of actual physical pain like the agonizing ache in the back of my mouth which was later discovered to be an infected wisdom tooth on a mission to cause misery. Other forms of pain came from simply strenuous days mentally of which there was no simple remedy, and lastly but probably the one that caused the most hurt was getting the worst news.
All of these reasons made me call off ON SECOND THOUGHT via Instagram last Sunday and consequently led me to decide to take a break, staying off social media for a whole week. Aside from Bloglovin’ which I use to keep up with the blogs I love and discover new bloggers, my experiences in the last few days were enlightening in ways I’ll share later on in the week.
Everything that has happened lately has made me think a lot about second chances – the ones we wish we could get and the ones we don’t.
…we reject the possibility of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and we deny ourselves the intimacy of showing our bleeding hearts as they are.
I recently stated that 2020 is a year of growth and hard lessons, but there are lessons you just wish you won’t have to learn the hard way. If there’s one thing these past few days have shown me, it would be how much I really do take for granted.
I often find comfort in the belief that there will be more time, that the perfect time will come again and I will know it once it shows up. Perhaps, the belief that we always have more time is the exact illusion that keeps us sane, calm, collected and allows us to live a life that’s not completely overwhelming. It’s second nature to have faith that there will be another opportunity to accomplish the things we must; another phone call, another setting to say all the things we hold inside.
The harsh reality is a lot more bitter than we’d like it to be. While sometimes we do get to dust the dirt off and try again, one thing we rarely like to dwell on is that unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Life is not a movie and not every day ends with an overly dramatic chase at the airport or a sweet desperate kiss under heavy rain. Whilst a second attempt might be in the cards for us, that simply isn’t a certainty we can cling unto because the truth is there are things we may never get back.
Sadly, I often remember to cherish the things in life when it’s too late or when my world turns upside down. Some things we only learn through the motions of pain. It’s just like how everyone began to crave the fresh morning air once the pandemic started as our lives were subject to new restrictions. Suddenly we missed the adrenaline we felt when chasing the last bus at sundown, the dinner parties we loved to cancel, and the soft touch of the ones we loved.
My point is we shouldn’t wait for a second chance, cause those, like many things in life, aren’t guaranteed. We don’t always get another chance when we desperately need it, and whilst that is not a jolly thought, it is still one we need to keep in the back of our minds.
So give your strength and energy to the things you love because you might never get to again. Sing all the songs that are on the tip of your tongue out loud no matter how off-key you sound as long as your insides smile as you do. Tell the people you love how you feel about them because you might be doing it for the last time.
A lot of times we hold back crippled by our fear of failure and rejection, therefore we reject the possibility of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and we deny ourselves the intimacy of showing our bleeding hearts as they are. But the real question is: what if it is your last chance?
Your restless romantic roamer
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second chances aren’t guaranteed 🙁 thanks for the painful but truthful reminder Rachy.
Thank you for taking your time to read! It’s always a pleasure!