Replies

Yes, that poem claws at my heart any time I see it.

My first wife was severely handicapped, and her Doc at that time insisted that merely getting pregnant might kill her; so I had myself "fixed."

There are "worlds within worlds" of that simple sentence- how wrong he was, how when he- who was a Urologist- learned he had bladder cancer ( which he cheerfully treated other people for... ) went home and carefully got in his tub & blew his brains out.....

Just suffice it to say I made my "choice," and now I live with it. My first wife? Twenty years ago yesterday I turned off the respirator that kept her alive after a stroke "blew her brains out" and held her while she died- and it took a long, long time for that tough little body to give up- even ruined, she fought like a tiger to hang on one last minute to life.

And yes, after what seemed like a thousand years in Hell, things got better, I remarried, life went on.... but I still... think back, and wonder what life would have been if I had made different, and better "choices"---

Thanks, backhoe, for sharing that.
Yes, God gives us all the freedom to make choices, but everything goes through His hands first.
In God's eyes what we see as bad He may see as good.
I admire your courage to face the "what if's" and accept the "what are's".

You have perfectly described the dilemma facing many people; when is the 'right' time, and can you ultimately live with the decision you make? How long do you sacrifice yourself for another? How long do you continue to wage war against losing odds? When is the time to quit?

You describe the thousand years of Hell, then life goes on. I used to think that, but time and circumstances have altered my opinion. Thank you for sharing this. You've provided a lot of food for thought.

but I still... think back, and wonder what life would have been if I had made different, and better "choices"

Don't feel like the lone ranger backhoe. - I'm sure that if most of us here were totally honest, we'd have to say the same thing. - Fortunately, the Lord paid the price for all of our 'choices' and he is willing to forgive. All we have to do is ask.