Have you ever thought to yourself if I could go back in time and fix that one mistake I made how different my life would be. I think back on my life sometimes and I will often reflect on the mistakes I made and the pain I have caused and I would wish I could go back and fix them. The reality is that this is not possible. We did what we did, and the hope is that we learn our lesson and move forward. That can be difficult sometimes depending on the impact your mistakes have on others. I write this dignity post because it is my way to share my story in hopes that I can share the lessons I have learned in my 62 years on this earth. It has also been an opportunity for me to right some of the wrongs in my life and to ask to be forgiven. Sometimes forgiveness is given and sometimes it is not. The important thing for me is that I repent for the wrongs I have done and to move forward and live a better life.
I have been blessed in my life with family, friends, and success. Sometimes I wonder why I am so lucky. There are so many times my life could have turned out differently. Some of the people I grew up with in Boston are no longer here. I could have been one of those people based on some of my life choices but as my brother Tracy would say “Every day I wake up is a new day for redemption.” I have had exactly 22,756 days on this Earth to redeem myself. I have come to learn that it is about what I do today that truly matters. The past can’t be changed. The hope is that I have learned from what I did yesterday to make a better today which will build a stronger tomorrow.
It is easy to say and write but often it is hard to say focused on that philosophy. Life gets in the way sometimes and will trigger a memory and drive you off your path and down a road that is dark and filled with obstacles. I sometimes catch myself on the could , would, and should road of life. Especially during hard times. My life could have been better, if I would have made this choice, what was I thinking I should have done the right thing. I have cause so much pain. It was in the past. I can’t fix it, but I am fixated on it which stops me from dealing with my present. Guilt is such a powerful emotion. It can stop progress in its tracks and can be challenging to overcome.
I am writing this today because there have been some things on my mind that have weighed me down. These memories are making it difficult to move forward. My hope is that by writing today I can work through these challenges and no longer allow them to stop my forward progress. I hope that what I am sharing today will help someone else get through their trials they may be facing. There is no greater gift than being able to help someone move through whatever they are facing.
“Everyone has a past, but that’s just it—it’s in the past. You can learn from it, but you can’t change it.”, Nicholas Sparks from the book ‘Safe Haven’
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 