Hindsight

 Oh the cruelty, the cutting clarity of hindsight. From where I stand now, looking back, things look different. I find myself making better choices. I have more hope. I have more objectivity. I have more compassion. I have more patience. I'm wiser. If I had it to do over again today I would do such and such so much better. This is the "advantage" of hindsight. 

And it's possibly, even probably true. 

The mistake of hindsight is to whip myself, to beat myself up, for not having that hindsight back in the past when I actually was confronting the challenge/the trial. Why didn't I.....!? If only I....! How could I not have seen....?!

But that's not fair. That's not valid. That is criticising myself on the basis of information and conditions I did not have. 

At that time in the past, under those conditions, given my circumstances, information, etc. I did the best I could. I didn't deliberately fail or perform substandard. On the contrary, if you were to pop me back into those identical crossroads under exactly the same conditions, even now I would perform/decide exactly the same and I should be content with those decisions. They were made from the best of motives. They were done with the highest intentions. They were "good". They were loving, honourable, courageous decisions.  Not perfect. But the best I could do. 

Now, when I look back, I have more information. I have more health. I have more time. I am not the same person that I was in the past.