Many believe regret is a wasted emotion because you can’t turn back time and undo the past. But for some, it’s a sting that never goes away, a scar that forever reminds them of missed opportunities in life.

Recently, someone on Reddit asked a rather existential question: “What do you regret not appreciating more when you were younger?” Responses poured in as people talked about how they should’ve spent more time with close friends or taken their parents’ advice. 

While they carry a somber tone, these stories could be a reminder of how important it is to live life to the fullest. Scroll through and feel free to join in on the discussion in the comments below.

#1

My parents youth. Mom’s 70 now, and it’s incredible hard to see her slow down.

Image credits: Routine-Argument485

#2

Not appreciating my parents’ patience and advice. I thought I knew it all back then.

Image credits: Adorable_baby_5143

#3

My free time. I really didn’t think that having a 9-5 and kids would leave me with so little of me time.

Image credits: ilikeballs2048

#4

The simple joys of being carefree—like long summer days and endless playtime!

Image credits: Right_Cabinet_7721

#5

My spine and knees being pain-free. Just walking the dog hurts these days.

Image credits: Thoracic_Snark

#6

Time spent with friends who have since drifted away. We thought we’d always be together, but life had other plans.

Image credits: Delicious_Tits003

#7

How much potential I really did have. I just lacked the self confidence. I’m trying to instill that in my children right now. One in particular. The fear of failure is real for everyone, but so is actually FAILING. EVERYONE fails. Nothing worthwhile is accomplished easily. It took me almost forty years to learn that.

Image credits: Nonchalant_Khan

#8

How easy it was to socialize in college. It’s frustrating and difficult to make new friends as an adult, and even more so to date.

Image credits: KingBassTrombone

#9

20/20 eyesight. Damn genes.

Image credits: yunaamizuki

#10

My grandparents’ life experiences. I wish I had asked and preserved their stories. One grandmother was born in1899 and lived to 95. Think of all she saw and lived through. Damn it, why didn’t I ask her when I could?

Image credits: melina26

#11

Having perfectly clear skin.

Image credits: toeskibidi

#12

The food my family made, I always thought it was boring because we had it almost every single day but now I’m starting to miss it.

Image credits: Warm_Animal_2043

#13

Being able to sleep was something I took utterly for granted. I miss those days so much.

Image credits: helcat

#14

Where I lived. It’s so easy to find a reason to hate wherever you are. But at the end of the day, you still live there. Might as well try to appreciate the good things about it.

Image credits: HimboVegan

#15

The opportunity to have a good education.

Image credits: anon

#16

Wearing sunscreen.

Image credits: rabbigouez

#17

My metabolism.

Image credits: BunnyHopScotchWhisky

#18

Not going out to party with friends.

Image credits: ImpostorSyndrome_MD

#19

The elasticity of my body!!

Image credits: Imtifflish24

#20

Having friends.

Image credits: Bobo_Baggins03x

#21

Summer breaks.

#22

AFTERNOON NAPS!

#23

Time with my grandparents. I was just so f****d up and couldn’t see how much they loved me and WANTED me around and protected me. I wish so badly I could tell them both that they changed my life and thank you for everything and how I miss grandpa playing us trumpet in the morning and at night. I miss the way my grandmas hug felt, and her bad cooking and watching are you being served with them after dinners.

I wish I had understood that time isn’t something you can get back, and when they’re gone there’s just an empty space where they used to sit on the couch.

Please don’t waste your time with people who love you, it sounds obvious but it wasn’t to me.

#24

Doing things with my mom while she had the physical energy. So many “we’ll do it next year” moments. And you just keep putting it off… and then your mom is older and living with stage 4 cancer and you realize all those big dreams you put off may never become reality.

#25

That fear is easier to overcome than I imagined in many of my situations. It held me back too much, led to anxiety and playing it safe. I let go of fear in the last five years. Doing so I doubled my income, increased satisfaction in life, care less about what others think, and found more rewarding relationships.

#26

When money wasn’t really about numbers, but more about whether something felt expensive or not. I think when I was younger I didn’t really think about how hard it was to earn or manage.

#27

My cousin, who came out as a teen and began transitioning as a young adult. Our family is liberal but was still very judgemental and leveled all the typical attacks against him–it’s a phase, he’s doing it for our attention, he’s mentally ill, etc. None of those things were true and his wellness and success have skyrocketed since he has found self-acceptance, healthy partnerships, and a full, happy life as a trans man.

Even though I didn’t participate in those attacks back in the day, my silence makes me sick looking back on it. I wish I’d found the courage to make my support and appreciation for him well-known to him and the rest of our family.

#28

My siblings. We were all surviving and I wish I was able to protect them more and have had the understanding that they were suffering too. We fought over food and lot and I was the stronger one and would take more than I should have. I know that we as children were put into that position by our parents, but I wish I could go back in time and fight harder for them. I was trying to survive myself and I just hate that I wasn’t able to focus on them more than myself.

#29

Not having a heart condition until I was 18 into my 20’s.
I deeply miss being able to just go and do things without having to worry about whether or not I’ll have an SVT episode – can’t run, can’t jump, can’t do anything that gets my heart really pumping……-.
Keep your health in check and please see your doctor regularly.

#30

For me, it’s the social/interactive aspect of browsing through DVD covers at Blockbuster, which really made the moviegoing experience fun imo before streaming fully took over.

#31

Investing. I had a business class in HS that had a 8 week competition on the stock market where each student got 10k in imaginary money that went off the real stock market. This class was during the bear stearns bankruptcy and a friend of mine suggested I invest in it. Put $3k when it was like 2.50/share and it jumped to $8. Sold a lot of my other shares and used the rest of what I had and bought at $8 and it jumped to $15. Safe to say I won the competition and was 2 dominos pizza richer. Apple, Microsoft and Amazon were trading in the $20 range back then.

#32

Being like everyone else. As a late kid/early teen I believed myself so special because I had more intellectual maturity than my peers, and because I wasn’t interested in what people my age were interested in. Now I am lying in the bed I made for myself – alone and lonely.
I’d slap my younger self if I could.

#33

Boredom. I used to fear it, now I mourn it.

#34

My grandmother tried to teach me Polish, but I was not interested. It would have been much easier to learn then…..sigh.

#35

My cat.

We were always together and I spent multiple days just lying in bed holding him, but I still feel like I didn’t spend enough time with him.

#36

I was always clever, but for some reason, I was ashamed of it. Being academically gifted was somehow uncool. So I dumbed myself down and d**ked around and kind of didn’t fulfill my potential.

#37

How hot I actually was.

#38

Having energy….

#39

Being unaware of my body. As long as I didn’t hurt myself, I would not think about it at all.

=> Being leg widely spread at the beach ? No issue, no hairs, or belly fat or stretch marks to worry about. If people look at me it’s probably because of my cool sand castle!

=> Climbing a game upside down in a skirt? Who care, not a single though of my underwear being seen.

=> Sleeping in a weird position on 2 giant teddy bears? No pain at all in the morning!

=> Sleeping on my belly? No big boobs in the way!

=> Lying on the floor to play Legos ? Sure! I’ll be perfectly fine there, no back pain, no struggle to stand again!

=> Having messy hair out of the pool? Messy what? Let’s dive and have fun!

=> Leaving the house ? Good, let’s go! No need of deodorant, pads or tampons in the bag just in case or periods and no small pads because of bloody leaks, don’t care of sunglasses and no painkiller in case of a migraine, let’s go empty hand! Not even a single look in a mirror to see if I have chocolate on the lips, sleeping eyes or bloody hair on my chin (bloody hormones).

#40

The general relative carefreeness and simplicity of life back then, mainly in high school and earlier. Not that I think anyone wants to go back to high school, but I do miss the days when only getting a detention was the biggest problem you faced.

#41

My ability to run effortlessly for long distance. I am now an old couch potato and I can’t run for my life.

#42

My body. Think most women can relate to looking back at pictures and thinking “wow, I was hot!” I just wish I would have flaunted my beauty more or taken advantage of it while I could. Like wearing the daring outfit in my closet that I thought was too sultry to be seen in public with. When you no longer have the option to wear it because it doesn’t fit, you realize you should have taken that chance.

#43

Not having to care about making my own money.

#44

Trying and failing. I wish I would have done this more.

#45

Having disposable income.

I wish I had what I blew back then on dumb s**t.

#46

Well, I definitely regret not appreciating the fact that I could eat a whole pizza and not gain a pound. #MetabolismMatters.