Thursday, August 13, 2009

Second Chances

Perhaps it is because I have been given so many second chances in this life that I believe in giving them to others. Where would I be without a second chance? I could have been an orphan, to start. I may have never graduated college, given that I was kicked out with only 12 credits left to complete. I'd probably be unemployed since last year was such a giant cluster.

Three years ago, I wrote a blog about being remembered for the good you have done in life. Often times, the only way that can happen is if we are given opportunities to right the wrongs we've done. In that blog entry, I wrote a bit about my high school friend, Kathy Donaway. (Read that entry here: 

For years I had lived with the feeling that I had mishandled our relationship and I wondered if I would ever see her again, much less talk to her. Thanks to the dawning of the social networking age and the brilliance of Facebook, Kathy and I reconnected. We spent hours one night just talking and we got down to the heart of some very important matters in our lives. And I'm proud to say, thanks also to a second chance, Kathy and I have renewed our friendship.

It's so easy to carry hurts of the past on our shoulders and to enter into second chance opportunities bound with preconceived notions and almost a determination to fail. It didn't work before. I messed it up the last time. People don't really change. Many thoughts can prevent us from giving a situation or another person or ourselves a second chance.

I realize that not everyone will have my experience. And the outcomes may not always be rosy. But proceeding with an open mind and an open heart can lead you to discover things and people that you may have missed. You may be presented with experiences that result in cherished memories. And, if nothing else, you may find within yourself the courage just to try.

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