Rehashing regrets is like riding a stationary bicycle. You’ll go round and round to the point of exhaustion, but don’t really get anywhere.
Quick This is Us update: After the Super Bowl Sunday night, it’s estimated 27 million people stayed awake even later to watch a highly publicized episode of This is Us. If you’re not familiar, This is Us is a brilliantly written story of a blue collar Pittsburgh family’s intense love, grief, regret, pain and joy~ on a long winding road to find peace after unthinkable loss.
One critical thread woven through the plot is the untimely death of beloved family man, Jack Pearson; and how Jack’s three kids, Kevin, Randall and Kate each attempt to fill the “dad-sized” hole in their hearts in different ways. Their struggles with excessive alcohol, Rx drugs, striving for success and food feel a lot like real life for many of us. Maybe that’s what keeps the massive audience coming back every Tuesday night.
Back to reality. The loss of a loved one, relationship or even a dream can leave us swimming in a sea of regret, too. Maybe there are things you wish you had said, or possibly things you wish you hadn’t said. It’s hard to keep moving, or even sleep at night with a relentless re-run of regrets running through your head.
Two excellent ways to shake off the shackles of regret are
* writing a letter and
* keeping a journal. Here’s why:
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writing is a safe place to express what you might be reluctant to say out loud.
- downloading your unfiltered thoughts- good, bad, angry, confused, even relieved- is phenomenal free therapy.
- nobody’s going to correct your writing, grammar or spelling…or even read what you write, unless you want them to.
Writing a letter to someone you’re missing, or maybe to someone who’s caused you heartache can be the beginning of healing. The decision to mail the letter if the recipient is still living, shred it into a thousand pieces, or attach it to a balloon and literally let it go… is all up to you.
Offering your words to the Lord in the form of a prayer can be a game changer.
Psalm 62:8 reminds us that we can be honest with whatever we’re feeling:
“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” No matter how deep your sorrow, God can be trusted to bring peace and healing.
Now, if we could just get this message to NBC and the This is Us family.