Ex Indian President Dr. Abdul Kalam once told this story: "When I was a kid, my mum cooked food for us. One night that stood out in my mind is when she had made dinner for us after a very long and rough day at work. She placed a plate of jam and extremely burnt toast in front of my dad. Not slightly burnt but completely blackened toast. I was just waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt toast and say anything. But dad just ate his toast and asked me if I did my homework and how my day was. I don’t remember what I told him that night but I do remember hearing my mum apologizing to dad for burning the toast.

And I’ll never forget what he said: “Sweetie, I love burnt toasts.” Later that night, I went to tell my dad good night and asked him if he really liked his toast burnt. He put his arm on my shoulder and said, “Your mum put in a very long day at work today and she was very tired. And besides, a burnt toast never hurts anyone but you know what does? Harsh words!”

Then he continued to say “You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like every other human. What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences is one of the most important keys for creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship."

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right and have compassion for the ones who don’t. Enjoy life.