In one of my earlier columns, I wrote about “do-overs;” you know, the things in life you wished you could go back and redo, like for me, having a second chance at high school chemistry.

Mrs. Dupey was a great teacher. I was just a poor student.

There have been many times I have regretted not taking advantage of her knowledge, but the guys at my lab table garnered more of my attention than the periodic table.

Some may say, I could have signed up for a college course, but I knew better.

Since I was already struggling with the foreign language requirement necessary for my college major, I certainly wasn’t going to jump into another course, with little or no background.

Back in my day, it was not required to take a foreign language to graduate from high school, so I opted out.

I regretted that decision the whole four semesters of my college French classes.

To pass, I had to hire a tutor.

She helped me enough to get a passing grade, but that’s all.

Even after dedicating that many hours to the French Language, all I really can remember is “bonjour” and “je t’aime.”

I’m pretty sure most folks, who have not even had a class, know how to say “hello” and “I love you in French.”

Needless to say, these are only a couple of missteps I have longed to change, but unfortunately, we can’t go back and redo or undo past decisions. That’s not how things work.

We have to move forward and for me, this is an ever-evolving learning process.

It has not always been easy for me to let go and move on. There are times I have spent hours upon hours recollecting past events, longing to go back and right wrongs.

Righting wrongs has not been the only thing I have longed to go back and change. There have also been opportunities that I let slip through my hands.

I was either too scared to take a chance, made excuses like “I don’t have enough time,” or just sat on my laurels and was lazy.

While there are no “do-overs,” there are certainly “do-betters,” and much like New Year’s Day, I find Easter as a time to refresh and restart.

This is an opportunity I don’t want to miss — to see things, feel things and do things with a renewed outlook and less “shouldas, wouldas and couldas.”

Easter is not about do-overs. It’s a season about new life and new beginnings.

Happy Easter!

 

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.