A Butterfly Flaps Its Wings

You may have read yesterday’s post where I wrote what I would say to myself 10 years ago. In some of the other posts I read on the same topic the people were very open with what they would tell themselves. Including when and who they would marry, the fact that they would have twins, job stuff, stock tips and more. I, on the other hand, was wary of how this hypothetical letter would change the life I have now. And it got me thinking about the ripple effect. How every decision we make effects who we will become, what will happen to us, and often the lives of those around us as well.

About 8 years ago Russell and I took a drive to Cambria, CA for his birthday. About 1/2 hour into our drive a car accident happened right behind us. I remember thinking, “if we had hit one more red light, or left 30 seconds later, that could have been us.”

Then I thought about a day nearly 7 years ago where my best friend was not so lucky. She and her husband were in a serious car accident that took the lives of two people, one of them their close friend. I imagine she must have wondered at least once how different her life would have been if they had taken even two minutes longer before they got in the car. I know my life would be different. We had sort of let our friendship fall away after I moved to Texas, and it quickly made me realize how close I came to losing one of the most important people to me. For that I will always be thankful. Because of the accident they wanted to move to a warm/dry climate (for their achy bones) and with the money from their settlement they bought a house in Las Vegas. If they hadn’t have done that we would probably never have considered moving here after Russell left his job at the church. I have no idea where we might have ended up. My life as I know it now could have been totally different if someone had needed to pee before they got in that car.

How many life altering events do we experience everyday without even knowing it? It seems as though life is like one of those choose your own adventure books, where simple choices can produce very different outcomes. The difference being that we may not always know the choice we are making is putting us on a new course.

This whole idea is still too big for me to wrap my head around, so come back tomorrow and I’ll explore my thoughts on what’s meant to be, luck, fate,  predestination, whatever you want to call it. But today I want to know… is there something in your life you would change if you could?

Published in: on May 26, 2011 at 9:05 am  Comments (3)  

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  1. That was a great blog 🙂 I think a lot of people including myself often ask those questions. I think too.. man.. if I could change this or that.. then maybe things would be like this or that etc. But in my eyes.. everything happens for a reason.. as its supposed to be.. our fate. I believe that NO Matter how hard we may try to have this or that happen.. I believe that in the end.. what is ment to be.. will be no matter what we try to do to change our fate. Don’t get me wrong.. we can make right decisions and wrong decisions along the way….. like not doing drugs etc… obvious things that are bad etc. Or try to better our selves by going to college etc.. those types of things.. but what path or life takes.. or the things that happen in our life wether they be good or bad.. I think happen for a reason. To teach us things, to make us stronger.. even those we may never understand those reasons such as why the good die young and why often times bad things happen to truly good people. That’s the point that brings me to believing.. man.. ok.. if there is a god.. why would he allow this or that to happen because its sooo horrible and this person didn’t deserve that etc. Its just our fate. What will be will be. I honestly don’t think we can do anything to alter our destiny. But that’s just my opinion.

  2. I wouldn’t change a thing. Not one thing. And I wouldn’t tell my 18 year old self the life she had it store for her. She might have chickened out of life. 🙂

  3. […] to have twins. But if good things are meant to be, are bad things as well? I had mentioned back in this post that my friend Robin’s car accident might have been avoided if someone had to go to the […]

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