Midweek sombre: What one thing do you not want to regret on your death bed?

seamus

So there was a post on reddit of Harry Chapin's first public performance of Cat's in the Cradle a couple of days ago. I know this song well, it's on my phone as part of the privileged 1,000 songs I have room for and I first heard it as a very young childer when ads used to run on BBC NI and UTV imploring people to stop the sectarian violence (which in itself is a whole other insane thing).

But I hadn't really listened to it in a while, and not properly since I became a new father in the last year.

I always understood the song, obviously. But it took on a whole new dimension when I heard it the other day. Suddenly I could actually relate on an emotional level, and much like Mr. Chapin in the above link, it scared the hell out of me. It's a total cliche, but becoming a parent does change you, and your outlook changes in a way which you can't fully comprehend until you have children.

Discussing this with my wife, he comment was that it is the one and only thing she doesn't want to regret on her death bed. And I had to agree with her. Anything else, whatsoever, I could handle. I killed a man, I didn't achieve my full potential, whatever, fine.
But the knowledge that I didn't love my children to their fullest, that I neglected to spend enough time with them so that I could do less important things like work or go to the pub, or whatever and that I missed out on sharing their growing up with them, I couldn't handle that.

So, what's yours?

And in before "My biggest regret on my death bed will be the fact that I'm dying".

Leftist

tbf most kids want to avoid their folks as much as possible once they hit mid teens and then for the next 20 years or so, so maybe that's not worth getting upset about.

I'd probably regret killing someone more actually.

3rdDegree

Leftist wrote: »

tbf most kids want to avoid their folks as much as possible once they hit mid teens and then for the next 20 years or so, so maybe that's not worth getting upset about.

I'd probably regret killing someone more actually.

I honestly think I'd regret killing someone more too. Especially if I spent 20 years in prison for it.Hard to devote time to the kids when you're banged up!

Iwasfrozen

seamus wrote: »

So, what's yours?

And in before "My biggest regret on my death bed will be the fact that I'm dying".

Loss of potential. That I could have been more then I was but through idleness or incompetence I let opportunities pass by and as a consequence didn't achieve what I know myself to be capable of.

Merkin

I'd hate to feel like I hadn't lived life to the fullest

Why do people ?

I don't want to ever regret not standing up enough against the liars, bull****ters and scum of this world.

So far, I've no regrets in this regard . . . but seeing as this is Ireland, I am quite busy.

kupus

The worst thing imo would be the wife leaning in on your deathbed and saying, "oh btw the last kid I carried wasnt yours":pac:

brimal

There was a nurse who's job was to care for patients in their last weeks of their life and over the years of doing this she asked them what was their biggest regret.

The top two I think were 'I wish I didn't work as much' and 'I wish I didn't spend so much time trying to please others'

Edit: Here's an article about it http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying

Halloween Jack

Garfield maybe.......

af_thefragile

Not being able to watch the last episodes of the X-files...

yore

kupus wrote: »

The worst thing imo would be the wife leaning in on your deathbed and saying, "oh btw the last kid I carried wasnt yours":pac:

The last?

Hate to have to break it to you, but they were all mine! :P

Thanks for picking up the tab for that btw.

jobeenfitz

I don't want to lie on that death-bed thinking I should have taken more days off work. That's why I'm not working today.

bronte

Read before that the most common one was

"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me"

It's a good one to keep in mind.

RikkFlair

Je ne regret rien

Leftist

Why do people ? wrote: »

I don't want to ever regret not standing up enough against the liars, bull****ters and scum of this world.

So far, I've no regrets in this regard . . . but seeing as this is Ireland, I am quite busy.

legend. do you go around telling people off? seeing as you're so busy.

Tesco Frog Muffin

........

Tesco Frog Muffin

Complainin' won't help. Especially when you're about to go to sleep and never wake up.

Mr Benevolent

'I wish I had something to regret.'

Tesco Frog Muffin

I would regret that I was ever born. Life sucks, let's just face the fact.

BGozIE

Tesco Frog Muffin wrote: »

I would regret that I was ever born. Life sucks, let's just face the fact.

Tote's emosh

Roger_007

I would regret not spending more on a comfortable mattress!

IM0

only regret would be that I have a death bed to lie in and wait for, and instead wishing it was quick and unexpected or something, all this ****e about keeping people alive with tubes until they die soon in drawn out pain/anguish is nonsense and inhumane, let them die already and give them a helping hand with a fatal overdose, once you reach the point of no return thats its, time to reflect for a few days but thats it

LisaLee

That I didn't see enough of the world.

The Backwards Man

It will probably be the same regret that I have now, that I worked too hard in my twenties, and didn't enjoy myself at all as much as I should have. Trying to make up for it now, but there's a lot of catching up to do.


I love the way Harry sang the word 'occured' in that song by the way, great songwriter, died too young.

Sleepy

I think I'd regret having failed my kids more than not having spent more time with them. Watching them make the same mistakes with their lives as I've made with mine would be the biggie I think...

fatknacker

Not deleting browser history

SouthTippBass

My only regret, it that... I have.... boneitis... :pac: