10 Days I'd like to Do Over Groundhog Day Style

Growing up in the tundra of the western Pennsylvania mountains, February 2nd, Groundhog Day, was a legitimate holiday. As a school kid, we so looked forward to the “prognostications” of Punxsutawney Phil. We anxiously awaited, would we have 6 more weeks of winter? Most of the time he did see his shadow-probably because the television lights lit up the gray Pennsylvania winter day. Sadly, it would leave us to trudge through 6 more weeks of boots, mittens, and stepping through crusted-over snow to get the mail from the common bank of mailboxes at the end of my yard. I can still hear the crunch, crunch under my rubber fleece-lined boots.  

But on those magic days like today, Phil would not see his shadow, would not return to his borrow, and we could count on an early spring. Now that I live in Florida, (I moved to the happiest place on earth) and it was warm enough for no jacket, I am a bit nostalgic today and this post reflects those sentiments.

It's a thing - On Wednesday morning, I can’t resist reaching for my iPad on the nightstand and searching for the Sonny and Cher YouTube of “I Got You Babe”.  Just like in the movie, I wake up to that tune and exercise my legendary Nezneski sense of humor. At least I think it's hilarious.

So I got to wondering, what are the 10 days of my life I’d like to do over. And as I share these with you, just maybe you’ll think of your own list of 10 days.

1. August 12, - My wedding day. I was a young 24-year-old and so much in love.—with maybe a few Groundhog Day do-overs along the way. Even though we are now divorced, there is a tender spot in my heart for this man.
2. April 8- My oldest son’s birthday. How I wished for a son! When he arrived, I had a transformational experience and knew why I was born, here in this life—to give birth to him.
3. May 12- My second son’s birthday. A second gift, different from the first, but yet so similar.

 Each of my sons was challenging in their own way, each now strong men who have deep convictions that guide their lives. And I got to see it all happen.

4. My grandchildren's birthdays. A grandson first, then my granddaughter, recently joined by her sister. Thank you, Ashley and Kim, for making me a grandmother to the most fantastic grandkids I could ever hope for.
5. November 10th what I refer to as Founder's Day, which is an annual celebration.
6. December 25th- This past year was particularly poignant, as I watched the girls open their presents, and I myself opened several meaningful and thoughtful items.

7. June 18th- Ashley and George’s wedding. One of the best outdoor, non-rainy weddings ever. Ashley was a beautiful June bride.
8. August 16th- Ed and Kim’s wedding One of the best church weddings ever. Kim, so beautiful with her watermelon pink flip-flops, under that gorgeous gown.

And for both weddings, the cleaned-up version of the LMFAO song “Schatz, Schatz, Schatz”- (poetic license is taken).

9. May 10th,  -- the best first date ever. Epic First Date of dancing and dining.
10. And finally, I am thinking of all the times I did stop and smell the literal roses. The time I sat on the beach at Fort Lauderdale; the time I took my mother-in-law to the Cheesecake Factory near the end of her life; the time I didn’t have a sitter and stayed home all day with my second son… All those ordinary days add up to a lifetime of wonderment. A good lifetime of days I would do over again, Groundhog day style.

I look back at all the times I made mistakes and wonder if I would really want to do them over again, Bill Murray style? I think I've repeated enough mistakes and learned whatever lessons they were meant to teach. I think I'd like to make different mistakes going forward. 

One year, from the kitchen, I heard, “I could do without Sonny and Cher next year.”  Yeah, I guess you won't have to after all. LOL

What are your Groundhog days?