Acceptance
Sometimes in life, we’re gravely disappointed by what seem like missed opportunities — things that didn’t pan out quite the way we wanted.
It’s important to acknowledge the hurt and sadness those moments bring. But it’s equally important not to carry them forever, like a dagger in the heart, carving a chasm into our psyche.
I’ve had many experiences where, looking back, I realized those “lost chances” were actually divine detours — life gently nudging me toward a better path. Hindsight being 20/20, I now see that some of the things I once cried over not getting would have led to disaster, heartbreak, or worse.
Let me give you an example.
When I was in my early twenties, I met a guy. Despite mutual attraction and a shared desire for a relationship, we never managed to launch. I nursed my broken heart for years. Even in my next long-term relationship, I quietly carried a flame for him.
Sometime during my marriage, I ran into him at a mutual friend’s party. He got so drunk he fell into the pool. We were both in our mid-thirties then — and he was still painfully immature. I let go of the fantasy that night… or so I thought.
Over ten years later, we reconnected on social media. I was recently divorced and curious how I’d feel seeing him again. We met for coffee, and within an hour, I realized our past “missed opportunity” had been a divine disruption.
He told me he’d spent several years in rehab. His wife had left him because she couldn’t help him. He’d been fired from one job after another, lost everything, and ended up homeless for a while before moving back in with his parents in his forties.
As much as I had once loved him, I saw it clearly: the stars hadn’t failed to align — they had protected me. This wasn’t just a regular shitstorm. It would have been a Category 5 ass-fudge hurricane. I would’ve missed my chance to have kids, and my career likely would’ve drowned in the process, because I would’ve tried to save him.
Now, whenever I get that familiar ache of disappointment, I remind myself that maybe I dodged another bullet. Maybe the person who ghosted me was a serial killer. Maybe that missed business opportunity was bankruptcy evaded. Maybe running late saved me from being abducted by aliens.
Whatever the case, I’ve learned to trust that when something doesn’t work out, it’s not rejection — it’s redirection.
A better opportunity is waiting, even if I can’t see it yet.