Erma -

My mom forwarded this to me today - and I thought I would share it. It was written by Erma Bombeck shortly after she learned she had terminal cancer.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn! With my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's'; more 'I'm sorry's.

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it.. live it and never give it back.

This is the one that gets me:

"Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle."

I am at the point now where I am getting so ready to be done with pregnancy, where I just want to meet the little one, and I need to remember that every moment of the next 1 day to 3 weeks (whatever it ends up being) are sacred. I am not so much wishing away the next few days/weeks - I just want to see her. So I needed this today!

I also was thinking about my miscarriages in regards to this - though they were hard to accept, and the emotional scars were (and sometimes still are) raw, even for those short times, and though they did not end the way I had hoped, it was a gift from God, to be able to be part of a miracle, if only for a short time.