Carpe Diem

“I don’t regret things I have done. I just regret the things I didn’t do when I had a chance…”

This quote summarizes the biggest regret (so far) in my life – never taking up the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong with my mom when she was alive.

It was the summer of '94, after my junior year in high school, I landed my first paying job outside of my aunt’s restaurant. I was excited to be working as a bookkeeping assistant at a local construction supply store. 

Determined to get some business experience under my belt, I declined the offer to travel to Hong Kong with my mom and my sister. My rationale was that I can’t risk losing my first real job by traveling two weeks abroad. And besides, I’ll have plenty more opportunities in the future. How naive I was to think that work was everything and my mom was immortal.

My mom's death a few years ago, however, really gave me a new perspective on what's really important.  

1. Work is not everything in life.  Family is. 
2. Life is short. Seize the moment. 

So, when the opportunity came up to travel to Macau with my dad and my family this past April, I didn't hesitate one bit, taking two weeks off from work. We traveled to Macau to visit the place where my dad was born and the alleys he played in as a kid. 

In addition, we toured Seoul and visited Hong Kong. I had an amazing time. The adventures we took and memories we made as a family are priceless. While my mom wasn't able to physically be there with us, I felt her spirit and heard her laughter, especially in Hong Kong. 

While I can't correct the regret from many years ago, I'm glad I didn't make it twice.