" I wish I had understood that this is n’t something you could get back . "

As we get older, it’s normal to start reminiscing about the old days. So when Reddit useru/Intelligent711asked: “What do you regret not appreciating more when you were younger?” a lot of people shared their very vulnerable answers. Here’s what some of them said below.

1.“The simple joys of being carefree — like long summer days and endless playtime!”

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

— atomic number 92 / Thoracic_Snark

3.“My parents' youth. Mom’s 70 now, and it’s incredibly hard to see her slow down.”

4.“How hot I actually was.”

— u / judgymom

" Yeah , I look back at my college picture , and it ’s like … what was I complaining about ? ! I ’d love to get back to looking like that ! "

— u / SwedishPie1122

Person lying in a field of flowers, hat covering face, legs bent. Relaxed and serene atmosphere amidst nature

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

6.“The freedom to do absolutely nothing and not feel guilty about it. Adult responsibilities are a whole different game.”

— u / Juicy_Tits0032

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

8.“Time with my grandparents. I was just so fucked up and couldn’t see how much they loved me, WANTED me around, and protected me. I wish so badly I could tell them both that they changed my life and thank them for everything and how I miss Grandpa playing us trumpet in the morning and at night. I miss the way my grandma’s hug felt and her bad cooking and watchingAre 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.”

— u / nigel_bongberry

9.“How much potential I really did have. I just lacked 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.”

10.“20/20 eyesight. Damn genes.”

— atomic number 92 / yunaamizuki

11.“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.”

12.“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 dicked around and kind of didn’t fulfill my potential.”

— uracil / fewerifyouplease

13.“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.”

Two women smiling and hugging warmly on a sofa in a cozy living room setting

Person sleeping peacefully in bed with a plant in the background

Two people pose against a plain backdrop. One wears a striped sweater and shouts, while the other in a patterned top looks playfully surprised

Person holding a coffee cup stands under outdoor lights in a busy, sunlit market area filled with people and benches

A group of people gather happily outdoors, with an elderly woman at the center looking up and smiling at a man in glasses

Street view with a sidewalk café, featuring outdoor seating and storefronts. Trees line the path, contributing to a quaint, inviting atmosphere