The Life She Didn’t Lead

I was stretching on the floor of my bedroom early one morning and a song came on my playlist that reminded me of my mom. Three notes in and I was already sobbing.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the sun shining through these silk flowers on the wall.

The song I was listening to, “The Life I Never Led” from the Broadway “Sister Act,” is all about a woman questioning her choices, wondering whether it was too late for her to rewrite her life.

My mom would have been the first to tell you she led a great life, but she once confided in me—when I was well into my 30s—that she’d always wanted to be a nurse. Instead, she raised eight kids.

My shame that it had never even occurred to me to ask about her hopes and dreams as a young woman will always weigh on me.

But maybe this sunny illumination was a nudge, a reminder that our lives are all about the paths not taken, corners not turned. But the corners we did turn led us to where we are. And maybe that’s exactly where we’re supposed to be.


Here’s the song if you want to give it a listen …

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