This trip was going to be unpleasant
and I knew in advance
that no real good would come of it.
I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip".

  I got tickets to fly there
on "WISHIHAD" airlines.
It was an extremely short flight.

I got my baggage, which,
I could not check.
I chose to carry it myself all the way.
It was weighted down
with a thousand memories
of what might have been.

No one greeted me as
I entered the terminal
to the Regret City International Airport.
I say international because
people from all over the world
come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel,
I noticed that they would be hosting
the year's most important event,
the Annual Pity Party.

I wasn't going to miss
that great social occasion.
Many of the towns leading citizens
would be there.

  First, there would be the Done family,
you know, Should Have,
Would Have and Could Have.

Then came the I Had family.
You probably know ol' Wish and his clan.

Of course,
the Opportunities would be present,
Missed and Lost.

The biggest family would be the Yesterday's.
There are far too many of them to count,
but each one
would have a very sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams
would surely make an appearance.

  And It's Their Fault would regale us
with stories (excuses)
about how things had failed in his life,
and each story
would be loudly applauded
by Don't Blame Me
and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short,
I went to this depressing party
knowing that there would be
no real benefit in doing so.
And, as usual,
I became very depressed.

But as I thought about
all of the stories of failures
brought back from the past,
it occurred to me
that all of this trip
and subsequent "pity party"
could be canceled by ME!

I started to realize that
I did not have to be there.
I didn't have to be depressed.

One thing kept going through my mind,
" I can't change yesterday,
but I do have the power
to make Today a wonderful day".

I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled,
encouraged, as well as encouraging.

Knowing this,
I left the city of Regret immediately
and left no forwarding address.

Am I sorry for the mistakes
I've made in the past?
YES!
But there is no physical way
to undo them.

So, If you are planning a trip
to the city of Regret,
please cancel
all your reservations now.

Instead, take a trip
to a place called Starting Again

I liked it so much
that I have now taken up
permanent residence there.

My neighbors,
the I Forgive Myselfs
and the New Starts
are so very helpful.

By the way,
you don't have to carry around
heavy baggage,
because the load is lifted
from your shoulders upon arrival.  

God bless you in finding this new town.
YOU you can find it --
it's in your own heart --
please look me up.
I live on ICANDOIT street.

~author unknown~