People are Not Erasers

I recently saw a facebook post where it said we need to teach kids that mistakes can be fixed. I'm sorry but not all mistakes can be fixed. Yes, some can but many cannot. When you make a mistake with a pencil all you need to do is turn the pencil over and use the eraser. Unfortunately, people are not erasers. You can't just simply turn yourself over and fix the mistake. 

Many times when we make a mistake, we must just live with the consequences. We can say "sorry" and try to make amends, but often the mistake is so big and has such far reaching effects that nothing we do can fix it. This is the reason I often say that you can do something in a moment that will give you heart ache for life. Those mistakes will haunt you. All the "sorries" and sincere apologies in the world will not change the results or consequences of the mistake. 

So, while yes, I believe we should remember that children will make mistakes and that some things are not worth getting too upset over, we should also teach them to make wise choices because our decisions will impact others and not all mistakes are fixable. We are not erasers!