The Sybilines, witches capable of foretelling the future, lived in ancient Rome. One fine day one of them appeared at Emperor Tiberius’ palace with nine books; she said that therein lay the future of the Empire, and asked for ten talents of gold for the texts. Tiberius found the price too high and refused to buy them.
The Sybiline left, burned three of the books and returned with the remaining six. “These cost ten talents of gold,” she said. Tiberius laughed and told her to leave; how could she have the nerve to sell six books for the same price as nine?
The Sybiline burned another three books and went back to Tiberius with the only three remaining books: “They cost the same ten talents of gold.” Intrigued, Tiberius ended up buying the three volumes and could only read a small part of the future.
I was telling this story to Monica, my agent and friend, while we drove to Portugal. When I finished, I realized that we were passing through Ciudad Rodrigo, on the Spanish border. There, four years before, I was offered a book, which I did not buy.
During my first author tour to promote my books in Europe, I had decided to have lunch in that town. Afterwards, I went to visit the cathedral, where I met a priest. “See how the afternoon sun makes everything more beautiful in here,” he said. I liked this comment, we talked a little, and he showed me around the altars, cloisters, and courtyards of the temple. In the end, he offered me a book he had written about the church; but I did not wish to buy it. After I left, I felt guilty; I am a writer, and was in Europe trying to sell my work – why not buy the priest’s book, out of solidarity? But then I completely forgot the episode. Until now.
I stopped the car; it was not by chance that I had remembered the story of the Sybiline books. We walked to the square in front of the church, where a woman was looking up at the sky.
- Good afternoon. – I’ve come to see a priest who wrote a book about this church.
- The priest, whose name was Stanislau, died a year ago – she answered.
I felt deeply saddened. Why had I not given Father Stanislau the same joy I felt whenever I saw someone with one of my books?
- He was one of the kindest men I have ever met – continued the woman.- He came from a humble family, but became a specialist in archeology; he helped my son obtain a college grant.
I told her what I was doing there.
- There’s no need to feel guilty, my son – she said. – Go and visit the cathedral again.
I thought this must be a sign, and did as she said. There was just one priest in the confession booth, awaiting the faithful, although there were none just then. I went over to him; the priest gestured for me to kneel down, but I interrupted him.
- I don’t want to make a confession. I just came to buy a book about this church, written by a man named Stanislau.
The priest’s eyes glinted. He came out of the confession booth and returned a few minutes later with a copy of the book.
- How marvelous of you to have come especially for that! – he said. – I am Father Stanislau’s brother, and this fills me with pride! He must be in heaven, content at seeing his work considered so important!
Among all the priests there, I happened to have run into Stanislau’s brother. I paid for the book, thanked him and he embraced me. Just as I was leaving, I heard his voice.
- See how the afternoon sun makes everything more beautiful in here! – he said.
They were the same words Father Stanislau had spoken to me four years earlier. In life, there is always a second chance.
my heart skipped a beat reading the last part. the reality of what you said, Paulo, hit me straight at the core. ill wait then for my second chance.
I need a second chance, after 14 years we met again, it is not the right moment but as you, Paulo said, love will always be there, we just need a chance to meet again.
Never give up somebody you can’t have a day without thinking of!
I´ve been given a second chance and I´m aware of it. Love is all that i believe in from now on. I´ve learned to love life and soon I´ll learn to love a special man who´ll love me.
Senhor Coelho:
Thank you for this moving story – and for all your books, which never fail to bring me hope that this life does have meaning, even if clouds obscure our vision at times.
Like some others who have replied, I missed an important chance a few years ago, and was actually attracted to this blog entry because of that. I definitely believe in giving others second chances whenever possible.
My hope is that all will be granted not only the second chance they wish for, but also the fulfillment of their heart’s desire.
Obrigado,
JRW
hace 2 años perdi a mi bb de 2 años y medio y mi vida se vino abajo. en ese momento estaba embarazada de 8 meses. dios en su eterna sabiduria me brindo la segunda oportunidad para ser mama. mañana se cumplen 2 años del fallecimiento de mi bb. hoy tengo a diego que es el eje de mi vida. gracias por permitirme compartir.
todos tenemos segundas oportunidades hay que saberlas aprovechar
I got a second chance. I loved a boy and I told him that but hi had a girlfriend so we stopt talking. He told me to never talk with him again. But I wait for him in monhts and one day he came back and said that he was sorry and now we are friends but I tild him again that I was in love with him but hi was not redy for loveand now hi don’t talk so mutch with me mabe because hi is sceard that I love him very mutch. I thing im losing the seconde chanse to….:(
Yes, this reminds me of chances I let slip through my fingers
when I was younger, things like a girl who really liked me and who I really liked, maybe because she was’nt the prettiest girl where I worked I did’nt pursue it..This was 17 years ago when I was 20.
The funny thing about all this is that on the first day she started working in the hotel where we both worked, she literally took my breath away when I saw her.
I have other regrets, I doubt there is a person alive who has’nt, if there is I’d love to hear what he has to say about it.
This may not be relevant to your story but it is about a second chance in my life. A second chance that might have a bitter ending, unless there exist third chances in life.
I fell in love with him the moment that I met him. I always knew and yet I had a relationship with him that was unemotional by his choice. He broke up with me and I was broken. As I gave up hope that we will ever rekindle in love, I met another man and decided to move on, because life moves on.
One month later my greatest love returned and fought for, I never thought that he would fight for me, but he did and he won me over.
But then he was taken in for questioning by the police and never returned. It has been four months and all we have is a weekly visit and limited phone calls. Making sense out of this situation is very difficult, because we do not know the reason that he is in jail and why he is being investigated. You see, in Dubai they don’t need a reason, or a charge to keep you detained.
Our lives and dreams took a 260 degree turn and we feel directionless. Can it be that we found each other again and now this will be our second chance? Would God really create soulmates only to rip us apart in such an unimaginable way? And will justice prevail? Is there a way out when we do not even understand why we are in this situation to begin with?
I believe there will be a third chance. I know believe in second chances. Maybe a third chance equals a miracle.
I have also been given many ’second chances’ but sometimes end up making the same mistake. However I beleive that I continue to make the mistakes because I have not learnt the lesson or gotten the message I am supposed to learn. I got this explanation from Paulo’s book ‘Like the Flowing River’- The art of trying.
Life as with love is often passed… passed by, passed on, passed over… you are very fortunate to have seen your lesson and granted your truth. Beautiful and thoughtful words
“In life, there is always a second chance”. Maybe I am a pessimist but I believe that in life you may or may not have second chances but when you do have a second chance may your heart be wide open for the opportunity.
I am lucky as I had many “second chances” in my life. As I like to pay attention to everything happens around me, and mostly on hidden “motors” off al events I cross that no one woul think about, that’s how I can see: second chances, also the so-called “coincidences”, dreams becoming true, or hidden negative intentions someone has,…, the miracle of an open flower or when my little boy becomes day by day the most advanced human been and soul on Earth…:)
But yes, we all have second and even third and fourth chances. As \god loves us more than we can imagine.
I love the simplicity and profoundness of the message. As I read it, I remembered my moments of not seeing the signs of having to act on something that could have been meaningful to me. And now, I am wishing that I may have one more chance on that one specific instance where I could have embraced him but instead I went away.
Thanks, that with this I remembered that moment…
Peace
Jacqui
I loved the message in your article about second chances; I find it very hopeful–just what I needed to read today. Cheers,
“In life, there is always a second chance”. provided we are open to them ?!!! aware enough to recognise them and act upon them ?
I hope paulo there is not just a second chnace but a third and a fourth one too…. in fact if one goes along the hindu beleif of reincarnation, every life is a chance, a chance for what ?? every monet is a chance, a chance for what ??!!, for one better time managment, at least for me.
loved to be back here, due to some ‘wise’ chaps deciding that all blogs should be banned, i was unable to access the daily blog for some time, even this site did not open that day, but today i took a chnace, and see what i see, second chance ! quite frankly i love to be here. with you and fello wols !
yep ! savita, it’s a more question of us being avialble to teh chances, they say God is veiled in a thin veil, we remain same and live our lives contemplating the veil !
“There was just one priest in the confession booth, awaiting the faithful, although there were none just then.” are we becomming sin free, or ….. are we loosing our faith ?
love freinds
aditya
Dear Paulo,
As I sit at my table in a state of hopelessness,
you send a timely message of HOPE.
Thank you
Cyprian
I believe and hope in second chances.
When I was very young, I was very much in love with a young man who loved me, equally as intensely. The first time we went out, I was fourteen; he was eighteen. We went on seeing one another, on and off, for the next eight years. It was on and off, because all would be going along quite well, and then suddenly he would say, “I can’t do this…not yet. Just give me time to grow up. But wait for me! Just wait!” I would wait for a time, and then I would get tired of waiting, and start seeing someone else. Then he would promptly come and break that up, and the whole thing would start all over again…all fine until one day he would say, again, “Let’s stop right here. But just wait. Don’t move from this spot. Please, just wait for me!”
Well, time went on and I graduated from school, and all my friends who weren’t already married and/or with kids, got married that year. (Things happen early in a small town in the South.) So, I got tired of waiting, and I married someone else. I eloped, so no one knew until the deed was done. He was heartbroken. In fact, we kept on seeing one another, even after I was married, even after I was divorced a year later. Finally, I just moved so far away he couldn’t trace me down anymore. I never looked back, just kept on moving from place to place, town to town, state to state, country to country for many years.
I heard he got married, had a kid (that kid is now 17). I supposed he must have “grown up,” I hoped he was happy. Still yet, I always regretted not having had the patience to wait just a bit. Looking back, I could see so clearly how impetuous I had been as a kid – how I wanted it all, and I wanted it RIGHT THEN. If, a year ago, someone had asked me to write down a list of my ten, even five, even three greatest regrets in my life, not having waited for him would have surely been on that list. I regretted it with all my heart, but I thought it a thing of the past, assumed it a mistake I would simply have to live, and die, with.
Now, after all these years (20, to be exact) we are seeing one another again, both divorced (him once, me twice), and we seem each equally surprised at this. I never told him how I so regretted not waiting for him, back when we were young. But recently, he told me of a regret that he had: He was in prison years back, and he said that once, when he was put into solitary confinement, he was given paper and a pencil and told to write down the regrets of his life. I suppose the guards expected him to write that he was sorry for the crime he had committed that landed him behind bars. He said he wrote, instead, about a night, when he took me to his parents camp on the river. It was winter, and he built a fire in the hearth. We had brought with us groceries and everything we needed to spend the entire weekend, alone. Everything was perfect. Then, in the middle of the night, the phone rang. His best friend had been in a tragic car accident. He had to leave. He said we got into an argument over leaving, I don’t remember that. All I remember is feeling cheated, not by him, but by God: that just at the moment that things were perfect, it all had to be shattered. Furthermore, I always thought he blamed me, thinking that if only he had been with his friend that night, rather than at my side, the accident never would have happened. He said that he wrote on that paper, with that pencil, in solitary confinement, of only one regret: that he did not stay that night with me, that he got up and went to the hospital instead, that we never got to finish our weekend we had planned to spend together.
He hasn’t changed though – not really. We’ve been seeing one another for a while and he’s taken up part-time residence in my spare bedroom, so that we can see one another. But now he’s said, again, “Wait! I need some time. Just give me some time to get myself together. But wait….” I haven’t seen him in almost two weeks, he’s stopped coming around altogether, and yet half his wardrobe is hanging in the closet in this room in my house, several coats, his shoes, his glasses on the nightstand, right where he left them, his watch in the top drawer, his toothbrush and razor in the bathroom. “Just wait….” he says: Wait right there. Don’t move! The key to my back door is in his pocket, and my heart as well…maybe even a piece of my soul.
It is perhaps true that we do always get a second chance in life. The question is: do we have the courage and wisdom, endurance and patience to make different choices the second time around. That little girl in me is still jumping up and down and screaming, “I want it all, and I want it RIGHT NOW!” Whether he has “grown up” or not, only time will tell, but some part of me has. Whatever happens, I don’t want to be the one who regrets this time, who regrets moving on when I should have stayed and waited. I may not have my heart’s desire in the end, but at least I will not be left looking back on my own impatience and wishing I had taken a different path. I’m not changing the lock on the door. I’m not packing his things up, or throwing them out into the yard. I’m not going out with anyone else. I’m simply going to sit here and wait…for however long it takes. That may seem foolish to some, but at the very least, it is a small price to pay to erase the one greatest regret in my life.
Savita, You have a great story!
I can identity with you a bit. I have been waiting for a while to be with the man I love. From my experience and wisdom I believe if you would of waited for him you would of had many regrets as well. You would of missed out on all your experiences in life, and he would of kept you waiting forever! He is selfish and doesn’t respect you like he should because he knows you will be there for him no matter what.
You either exept him how he is (the same even at his old age) and be happy with this because if you try to change him, both of you will be unhappy.
Thank you for charing, and I really hope it goes for all of us
I hade a dream once about three angels who came to me with a message from God they where to pick me up to God because he wanted to talk to me.
and I or I was so afraid of dying or of the message that I refused to go,
now I dont know the message or will I ever know.
love light keep up the fight
m
sorry for the swenglish
Very beautiful story. There have been books that I, too, have passed up and regretted not buying, people that I could have met, but for some reason didn’t, places I could have gone, but was too afraid to go. Thank you for sharing this story with us.
Oh,this is so beautiful.
In your story for sure,in life maybe yes,just we are not always aware of the importance of the moment.Story was nice.
I love this message!!
I believe in second chances too!