Do over. When I think of the word ?do-over,? I think of someone wanting to make things right or wanting a second chance. I think of someone wanting to make a different decision or choice, or desiring an alternate outcome or result.

Life is full of do-overs. Some are big, some are small. Some are important, and others are somewhat insignificant. Some are wishes, or ?woulda, coulda, shoulda? situations, while others can actually become true. When a divorcee decides to marry again, they are in a sense wanting a do-over, another chance at love and happiness. When a person is released from jail and they promise to never commit a crime again, they basically want a new lease on life, a do-over. These are both pretty significant do-overs, but it could also be as simple as regretting the color you chose to paint your room and just wanting to change it.

In my own life, I?ve often wished for do-overs. Occasionally, during card games I?ll be dealt a really bad hand and I wish I could simply reshuffle the deck and start the game over. Even with friends there have been times that I?ve said things that I wish I could take back, and press the rewind button, but unfortunately words cannot be erased.

There have been many other ?do-overs? in my life, but one of the most memorable instances in my life where I wish I could have had a do-over, occurred when I was only eight years old. I can remember coming home from school one day and seeing my mom sitting at the kitchen table with her head in her hands and swollen red eyes as if she had been crying.
I recoiled a bit and then asked, ?Mom, what?s wrong??
She replied, ?Come sit down, sweetie, I need to tell you some news.?
She continued to tell me that a very good friend of mine from church had come down with a bad case of the flu. After being careflighted to the hospital, three days later, the virus attacked her heart and it took her life. When I first heard the news, I remember being in so much disbelief, almost in denial. I was completely dumbfounded and just overcome with sadness. I was in third grade at the time and I hadn?t really experienced death first hand before. It seemed as if my whole world had just come crashing down. It was hard to comprehend that I was never going to see her ever again, she was gone forever.

It was a difficult and tragic time for everyone. The funeral arrangements were being made and the memorial service was being planned. Amongst the tears, my mom comforted and soothed me and told me that she wasn?t going to make me go to the service if I didn?t want to go. At first, I was sure that I wanted to go, but the day of the service arrived and her death became a reality to me, I decided to stay home. I just didn?t think I could make it through the service. It was too difficult and after all, I was only eight years old.

Looking back, I wish I would have gone to her service. I know that me not being there really made no difference to anyone else, but it made a difference to me. Why? Maybe I just needed some closure. I now know from going through this experience, that if I am ever in this situation again, I need to attend the service. If not for the surviving family, then for me, so I can have some closure.

There are some things in life that you just don?t get to actually ?do-over,? but we can still grow and learn from for the next time. Life?s situations, whether big or small, shape us and hopefully cause us to mature. Then, at some point in time, when we see a child, friend, or even an adult, struggling to make a decision or wishing for their own do-over, we can come alongside them and say, ?Been there, done that!?