Birthdays, Mistakes, and Love

Today is my birthday and three of my daughters came in from Queensland to celebrate it with me. Sitting around last night as we drank whiskey and port by candlelight it was good to laugh and engage with them and be reminded that the mistakes of the past don't have to determine the future. My kids know the errors I made but for some reason, they celebrate the fonder and funnier memories: the nights we danced together and got drunk together; when I told them their mouse run away (which it did after I opened the door of the cage); Sunday lunches and road trips: to name but a few.

One of the things we as humans appear to be good at, is beating ourselves up about past mistakes: whether they occurred over decades or just yesterday. But if we live in our yesterdays we fail to make the most of our todays: and today is what counts.

It's not about sweeping past failures under the carpet but it is about learning from them, making course corrections, and celebrating what we have done well.

The gift I received from my children last night, was that my failures don't define who I am, in their eyes. They love me, don't dwell on the mistakes, and if they are mentioned, it is always with humour.

Maybe that's a good way to treat ourselves.