Yes, the past has things to say. I often feel ambushed by a memory of something my younger self did or said, and feel a tremendous wave of regret and shame and sorrow. I'm not talking about serious crimes, but of the everyday failures of presence and wisdom that are common in the young. In my case, because I was so young when my children were born, I feel that they were the ones who suffered from my selfishness and immaturity. Learning to forgive myself and have compassion for that young girl is an on going challenge. I am trying to be open to the snipper fire from the past, to have a more expansive view, to remember the good times, to learn what I need to learn from the past so that I can live more in the present.