‘Regret for the things we have done can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.’ Sydney J. Harris
There is such wisdom in this quote. Regret over things we have done can always be softened. As long as we have breath within us, we can seek forgiveness, make amends, or take responsibility for an error. Even if it is the last act of a lifetime, often we can make some progress on righting a wrong we have committed.
But when we bypass the opportunity to do something- when we allow our pride to prevent us from acting or speaking as we should- sometimes before we ever take that step up into right behavior, the hands of time on the future stop…. That is when we are left with a form of regret that is inconsolable.