Til Death Do Us Part: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, part 3

Intro from my previous posts on this book: Here and here.

Bronnie Ware worked for many years in hospice and end-of-life care work.  She walked numerous people through their last days.  During those years, as she sat and talked with men and women in their twilight days, she found a few recurring regrets and shared those in her book: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing.

The book is worth the read so my little summary barely scratches the surface.  However, over the next few weeks, I hope to share the five regrets and see how they relate to marriage.

Regret #3:

I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings

Isn't it funny that many of us enter marriage with the desire to be fully known and share our deepest selves with each other, but then find ourselves closing up over time?

Bronnie Ware found this regret often in those whose days were short.  Why hadn't they said the important things they wanted to say?  Why had they chosen to be silent all those years?

Take stock today.
What have you longed to tell your spouse?
What have you been holding back from your spouse?
What has been brimming into your chest so long, but has never found its way out?
What have you wanted to say but felt silly?
What is a part of your inner life that you wish you could share with the one you love?

We all know these things are not as simple as they seem, and sometimes we have wise reasons for not expressing our feelings.

But is there something of value in your heart that is really being held back for reasons that have little weight?  Is it time to avoid the regret and have the courage to express your feelings this day?