An interesting English language idiom.

I was traveling today so my blog post is late – but “better late than never” say I.

It’s been a recurring fact in my life. I got to do many things later in life than was “normal.”

A happy marriage, for example, which I presently enjoy. Late but the miracle is that it happened at all.

I went to law school much later than my peers did with recently graduated undergrad colleagues, but I did it. Better late than never.

It’s a useful phrase and philosophy. It is much too easy to give in to the perception that it is too late to try something new. Whether that is mountain climbing or a graduate degree or that year off you’ve been meaning to take since you started working decades ago. Or sailing the world.

Whatever it is, if you have a hankering to dust off a dream, go for it. Learn piano. Write a book (personally relevant). Start a blog. (also personally relevant). Travel to Machu Picchu (which good friends recently did with their adult kids). Learn to ballroom dance or take up oil painting.

Whatever you didn’t do when you wanted to do it because life was serious and you needed to settle down and be responsible.

I once had a boyfriend who wanted to change direction and ditch law school. He dreamt of opening a bar instead of taking the bar. But he became a corporate lawyer and life took off in that direction.

He’s retired now and I’ve often wondered if he ever took up that challenge. It would warm my soul to think he had.

I did some digging around on the interweb and found some other familiar examples of “better than never.” The examples should resonate with some of you.

—  The dress arrived after the dance but better late than never—I’ll wear it to the next event.

—  I handed in my term paper a day late, but it was better late than never because the teacher only marked it down one grade.

—  Our flight was delayed 5 hours but better late than never because they closed the airport after the plane departed.

—  We only arrived at the game at halftime but better late than never.

— Just come over now—it’s better late than never and Grandpa would really appreciate the effort.

—  We just received the report. We should have had it yesterday but it’s better late than never.

—  A: Sorry it took me a year to pay you back the $500 I borrowed. 
  B: Thanks, it’s better late than never.

—  Unfortunately, we arrived when dessert was being served but it was better late than never.

Synonyms

• it’s high time
• not a moment too soon

I’m sorry this post was so hideously late today. The vagaries of travel. But it’s been published before midnight. The daily writing streak of the past nine months is still unbroken.

Better late than never. 🙂