A mark of genuine change, after the pleasure of newfound growth, may be the regret one feels that they didn't learn sooner.

When we learn something new, we see how it could have made our life better at an earlier time. We regret being stubborn, immature, or impulsive.

Now we see our mistakes in a new light and it hurts. This is one of the pains of change. Some people turn away from growth because they refuse to tolerate the pain of honest hindsight.

We need to face these regrets, but not indulge in them. We take a bow to the past and move on to live in the only place we can -- the present. We can acknowledge our guilt and remorse and then turn them over to the care of God.

We can't change the past, but we can learn from it. Healthy recovery means an ever-lighter load of regrets.

Getting stuck in guilt over past deeds only repeats our mistakes by failing to use our learning today.

She went home, limping and howling. Her mother put ice on the terrible scrape.

The next day, the girl's mother told her she was too big for the little kids' toys. The girl looked up defiantly and said, "I can TOO ride that baby bike." 

The girl's mother didn't say anything else. She knew people must be free to make mistakes.

We cannot protect another person from the experiences of the world. It would be harmful to both of us to try.