If you could change one thing from the past...

My biggest regret must be taking up with the totally useless first swine husband ... but then I wouldn't have had my perfect DD, even more perfect etc and probably not absolutely perfect DH either!

We can't change things in our past only make the very best of our present ... and I'm very happy with mine!

What are we like, so many of us, and I include myself in that, have been hampered by shyness or lack of confidence over the years. Here's to believing in the strong, capable women that we really are!

Like others to overcome shyness and believe I could - instead of assuming I couldn't!

Not spending enough time with my mother when she was dying of cancer. I prioritised my job, children and voluntary work until it was too late. I did sit with her at the end and hold her hand but should have been there more often for longer. ?

Like Morethan getting too emotionally involved when DD's husband left her. I should have been stronger but was just recovering from cancer treatment and wasn't at my best. My other DDs took the same attitude as MT's.

Another here for self-confidence. I turned down so many chances that were offered to me because I didn't think I would be good enough.

Not worrying about things as much as I did. Sometimes things didn't turn out well for me but worrying so much about them made it no better nor worse.

Still trying to worry less.

I agree with Nonna about the self confidence/shyness which has affected me all through my life. If I'd had more feelings of self worth, I wouldn't have settled for the first boy who proposed to me.

Not cleaning up my muddy path this year - if I had I wouldn't have slipped on it and broken my arm! Apart from that, there are some things which, if they were changed, might have made my life easier, but they might have made it harder, so no point having regrets.

I wish I'd handled my daughters estrangement better. All that angst and pain my other children witnessed. They've never forgiven her for my pain even though I have.
I wish I'd been kinder to my dad
Like gettingonabit I also wish that I'd realised that some people are bulls_______.
There's loads more I'd change. Too many to list really. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Why annodomini?

I would tell my Mum that she should listen to her instincts about her doubts about her 2nd husband.

I wouldn't know where to start either.

I regret a lot of things ...
Not staying on at school and then going on to University
Marrying someone completely unsuitable at 19
Not standing up for myself
Not being adventurous and always going for the safe option .

If only I had never started taking NSAIDs.

I almost put that too Nina but without the Idiot (who has recently excelled himself!) we wouldn't have the two children she had with him and she might not have met their lovely new 'daddy'.

That D had never met her husband.
That my dad had met my children.

I could wish that I had had more self confidence but, as n&g says, I probably wouldn't have what I have now and, despite the ups, downs, hiccups and minor irritations, I am very happy to be where and who I am now.

I wouldn't know where to start.

To undo the fact that my ex-brother was ever born as he went on to steal a very large sum of money from our elderly parents.

Shyness/self confidence. It might not have changed what I did to get to the me of today, but I'd probably have enjoyed things more along the way.

Not split up with fiance when 19. Though of course who knows how it would have turned out?

Nothing.

Not because there aren't things I could/should change but because here I am ....and I'm happy with my life .

And I wouldn't change that for the world.

So, the sum of my experiences got me here and changing my past might have changed my today .

Learn how not to worry as much and like you Tanith wish I had asked more about family history.

Maybe not married just because I was pregnant but times were so different then.

Not got pregnant at 16 and missed out on my further education- tried to remedy that by getting degrees later but its not the same- will forever regret that and never forgive myself for being so stupid.