One mistake

Last night, I played the piano and sang for a crowd. During one of the songs, I bungled a line of lyrics.

My heart sinks when this happens ... but it does happen every once in a while.

However, my hands continued in time on the piano.

My foot was steady on the damper pedal.

I hadn’t fallen off the bench.

Except for a few garbled words, all was well.

* * *

Too often, we make one mistake, and we want to scuttle the ship.

But it’s in those moments (and they can be the briefest of moments) that we must call to mind all that is going right. All the things that haven't gone awry.

To press forward, and to leave the mistake where it belongs — in the past.