Would You Prefer a Different Life?

A man awoke one morning with a sick feeling in the bottom of his stomach. You know, the kind of feeling that something dreadful is about to happen? Life for this man, was what most would call ideal. He had a job, that paid enough for him to survive. He had a wife, that he loved, but they had grown apart, the spark itself was gone, but he did love her, and she loved him. He had a son, who was growing up quite nicely, albeit a little misbehaving. Yes life for this man was ok. He awoke every morning at half past six to get ready for the day. Got off work at half past five, and was home by six, to enjoy a quiet evening with his family. A routine that he had grown accustomed to. This morning however, things felt different.

The life he had grown so used to, now began to eat away at him, began to tear him apart on the inside. The things that he had grown so accustomed to, he had now begun to dread. This morning, it manifested as a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He stood, walked across the room, took his suit out of the closet and laid it on the bed. Went into the bathroom and began to shave. As he drew the razor down his neck, he contemplated the thought of pressing too hard. Of ending his life just then. It was at this moment that he knew something had to change. The man, still dressed in his pajamas, got into his car, and drove to his church.

After a few moments of entering the church, he was of course, accosted by one of the many nuns. “May I see the priest?” was all he could say. The nuns took one look at the man, who was visibly shaken, and still in his pajamas, and nodded as one went to fetch the priest, and the other fetched the man a bit of bread and water.

After what seemed like an eternity in his own thoughts, alo...

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... life you wanted, and you saw that even it ended in sadness. Now I ask you, of the two lives, which did you prefer?” Almost without a hesitation the man responded, “The second, my father.” “Why?” “Well…” he thought on it for a brief while as they walked silently. “I was happy. I followed my dreams. I did not settle for what I did not want, just because I was content. I gave my love utterly to my wife, and she gave it in return. Never once, did I look back on my life and ask, what would happened had I chosen a different path. Instead of worrying about what might have happened, I felt happy. I felt love. I felt joy. I felt the warmth of being loved. I gave my life, totally, to the woman I loved, and she gave me hers in return. And when all was said and done, I felt my way through life, felt the choices I made, and felt love.” “Very good.” was all that came in the reply