Tears of Regret

The miracle of my birth is to me sufficient proof of a Creator.
And so I am duty bound and determined to lead a moral life 
For the greater glory of God, that there be no regrets.
But, alas, I have not escaped regrets, so what can I do? 
Whenever I think that I have the answer to this problem,
It changes form like the patterns in a kaleidoscope,
Here is a man who is earnestly seeking enlightenment,
While drowning in his own folly and unreasonable expectations.
I spend days and nights haunted by my inadequacies and errors
Bringing to mind the memories of those whom I may have offended,
Beseeching them to answer me and forgive my trespasses,
For many a man is slain by the destiny of his own making.
There are three kinds of tears associated with emotion.
They are tears of joy, tears of sadness, and tears of regret.
The first two are like raindrops falling from the eyes.
They are deeply heartfelt but slowly dissipate with time.
The third are tears of blood that drip, drip, drip from the heart.
They are the bloody tears of regret that never go away.
Even Saint Peter was not immune. His tears of  regret began
When the rooster crowed after he denied Our Lord three times.
The tears of regret are the guardrails of moral reality, 
They are reminders that the wages of sin are death, but
The gift of God is forgiveness by way of repentance
And the peace of mind and heart that go with it thereafter.
Go in peace brothers and sisters and may God be with you.
(Bob Mrotek 2023)

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Between the Blinks

You blink and you find yourself in the November of your life.

Between the blinks, your children grew up, your parents died,

And many old friends are no longer living or have moved on.

You blink between the worry, and the work, and the money spent,

And the dreams that you put away for "sometime when you can."

When we blink too fast, we miss a laugh, a hug, and one last "I love you."

What if we stop blinking so much and take mental snapshots of our life?

Look after the children when they do their homework. Teach them.

Look at your spouses in a quiet moment and seek to understand them.

Look at your mothers and fathers if they are still around and cherish them.

Spend time with relatives and friends and seek out the good in them.

Be as joyful as you can during this time and don't waste the opportunity.

Yes, time will pass, by and by, but looking back, "in the blink of an eye,"

Not even death can take away the moments of our happiness.

They will keep us company on the journey to heaven and eternal life.  

(Bob Mrotek 2023)

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