What Might Have Been

I flew into my home country of Canada a week ago to visit my family and friends. And we just spent a few days in my hometown. It really makes me think what might have been…

Usually don’t get to make a trip to my hometown as it’s a ten hour drive from where my parents and brothers live now. Being that it’s summer, this was a good time to go. I haven’t been back here in nearly eight years. Things have changed, but they also haven’t.

We got to spend time with aunts and uncles, cousins and their children. It makes me sad that my kids haven’t got to know these amazing people. I was lucky to grow up with them and wish I could see them more often. But living on the other side of the world makes it pretty difficult.

I was able to see two of my best friends (who are married to each other) and their cute kids. It was so great to catch up on what’s happened in the past eight years. Although it made me realize how much I’ve missed out on. As an added bonus, I also got to see a few people I graduated high school with.

Then tonight I caught up with someone from a nearby town who I haven’t seen in a very long time. She is one of the few women I met in my life with whom I had an instant attraction to. We had our “moments” when we were younger too. I always wondered what might have been if we had ever lived in the same city. Not sure, but I believe the chemistry was still there. We chatted for three hours, but it didn’t seem that long.

But now she is gone home and who knows when I’ll see her next. We leave tomorrow and everyone joked that they might see me again in another ten years. Hope it’s not that many years, but time goes so quickly. Being back here does make me wonder what might have been if I’d stayed in this country. There are so many people I care about here and wish my kids could see that.