I was visiting my Dad in another state and retiring for the night in the guest room. I’ve always loved my parents’ home … always. When my mother was alive she was the epitome of the perfect hostess. I remember the first time I visited their current home and was treated to the Guest Room. With a mini fridge next to the bed, fully stocked; a microwave placed perfectly in the built-in with a basketful of hot chocolate mixes and some cute mugs beside it; and two fancy chocolates on my pillow, I thought I was in paradise! The last few years, that guest room got used more often than it was empty. My siblings and I took turns staying with Mom & Dad to help out, as our mother got progressively more dependent because of her illness. So the guest room is a place I am quite comfortable in, thank you very much!
This night, as I put on my PJs and climbed into bed, I grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels. No surprise I landed and stayed on the Hallmark channel – safe and sometimes even entertaining. But this particular show was so cheesy I eventually just turned it off and fell asleep. Before I gave up on the show, though, I found value in what I was watching. Not entertainment value, really, but good insight. One of the characters, when asked about his past, responded with something that will stick with me forever:
“No regrets, just lessons learned.”
