(Originally posted on Candles Online)
It was just another ordinary day, yet it became a captivating conversation with my daughter. A simple outing became a small girl’s day filled with intriguing discussions. As we awaited our order at a local eatery, my daughter asked, “If you could have one superpower, what would it be?”
After contemplating, I shared, “I would love the ability to read people’s minds. What about you? Wouldn’t that be something you’d want?”
To my surprise, she promptly replied, “No.”
Perplexed, I inquired, “Why not, darling?” Her response left me in awe.
“Mom, knowing what’s in people’s minds opens us to the risk of getting hurt. Some genuinely like or dislike us, while others wear a facade—being outwardly nice while harboring mean intentions. We prefer the pleasant things, don’t we? Learning about the not-so-nice thoughts could shatter our hearts into a million pieces. So, having the power to know minds isn’t a wish-worthy superpower.”
Her profound explanation never ceases to amaze me. Kids possess an innate ability to simplify the complex, resetting the default settings of an adult brain to broader perspectives. Intrigued, I asked about her ideal superpower, and she effortlessly listed: “Being invisible, flying, freezing time”—inspired by on-screen fantasies.
In our conversation, she unveiled a unique perspective on freezing time: the power to revisit the past and reset things for a better future. If one fell short in exam preparation, freezing time would allow them to study, ace the exam, and voila!
Contemplating this notion, I wondered about my life with such a superpower. As enticing as it seemed, a major glitch surfaced—what if the consequences weren’t to my liking? Would I revert to where I started? What guarantees existed for success? The prospect of being stuck in an infinite loop was daunting.
Is this not a precarious situation? Or does revisiting and resetting hold a different connotation? The cliché that “you can’t change the past, and you don’t know the future; all you have is your present” has been beaten to death. Yet, we persist in walking on a shaky bridge of guilt and regret built on the debris of our present, commuting between the past and future—a bridge that leads to nowhere, freezing time in our conscience while moments slip through our fingers.
Should we burn down this bridge? Erase every page from the past? Imagining my daughter’s response, I envisioned her saying, “Why not build a stronger bridge? Make corrections because tearing away pages is not right, right?”
Unless afflicted by amnesia, we can’t alienate ourselves from the past. Our visitation should be a journey of learning, not an endless dwelling. Guilt and regret are not fixed deposits; nursing them is catastrophic. To have them is natural; to deal with them is healing.
Returning to the superpower of freezing time, a new perspective emerges. In this universe, mental and psychological time travel is possible. Revisiting the past is for observation; resetting is for making things right, just like correcting mistakes in a dictation.
Talking about guilt, regrets, revisiting, and resetting, I remember a recent event in my life that shook me to the core—I lost a close cousin. The sudden news came like a blow, puncturing the bubble of constant busyness I had enveloped myself in. This unexpected push forced me to stumble into the deep, dark pits of guilt – “Why didn’t I contact him for so long?” The pain of regret in my heart was too heavy as the moments we shared as kids rallied in front of my eyes. I certainly cannot undo what has happened; the question is what to do now to deal with the immense pain I am reeling in. To regret and forget or to change my ways, keep in touch with my loved ones, and remember?
As we navigate the intricate landscape of our lives, this poignant event reinforces the urgency to build a better bridge—one fortified with resilience, positivity, and the wisdom to make corrections. The past may be immutable, but our approach defines our present and shapes our future. Embrace the power to revisit, reset, and construct a bridge that propels us forward with strength and purpose.
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