Look at me.
I have come to terms
with the mistakes you made.
You were young and searching
for your meaning. All has been forgiven.
There is no sense carrying pain like a millstone
around my neck.
Look at me.
Life has caught up with me.
Old age is creeping in my bones
and reveal itself in the creases in my skin
and some added weight. There is no glamor
about me. I have no glitzy social life or powerhouse
career. I shovel snow in the winter and pull out weeds
from the garden in summertime. I carry the aroma of
garlic from cooking morning, noon, and evening
to feed my husband and children. I am not
the person you envisioned me to be
but I have never been happier.
I traded the daily rat race
to chase children,
the approval of superiors
for the love of one good man.
I live a life that was beyond my dreams.
Do not be afraid
to look at me.
There is no regret
in what you have become.
~~~
For MAGPIE TALES. Please click the image or the link to visit more responses to the prompt. 🙂 Thank you for coming by.
MY WALL 
This soliloquy speaks to me, Imelda. The first three lines and the last verse is perfect. The middle is the morsel.
There are a lot of entries on the original post. Be busy reading them.
This is such a beautiful response, Imelda. My favourite passage is
“I traded the daily rat race
to chase children,
the approval of superiors
for the love of one good man.
I live a life that was beyond my dreams.”
I’m sure that so many women feel just like this, and have no regrets.
So agree. Most of people are just people, and it is wonderful. Chasing expectations one can miss their whole life.
Perfect ending, perfect pause.
We all have different definitions for “happiness”. This is beautiful!
Thanks, bebs1. 🙂 True, ‘happiness’ varies from person to person. One has to find what makes him/her happy.
There is no sense in carrying pain like a millstone..that is so very true..we need to release ourselves from pain and start healing in the here and now.
Another gem Imelda! It is a life well lived that can look back without regret.
I think as we grow older we become more accepting of what we have become – or what our loved ones have become.
Wonderfully written. Yes, as we grow older we do accept ourselves, warts and all. If we don’t, then the rest of our lives will be tortured. Regrets don’t really achieve anything, expect sorrow.
beautiful!