What If It’s The Last Time?

A good friend passed away recently. The last time we met, he was full of life and was too passionate about the things he wanted to do in the future.

Remembering our last meeting, I wonder, what if, despite those lively optics, I could’ve understood that it would be the very last time that we see each other? How would have I handled the occasion? Certainly, I would have been more loving, compassionate and understanding.

Contemplation on the deceased friend reminds me that he’s not the only person whom I regret I had treated with profound love, compassion and understanding.

There are too many good people that I encountered in the past in one way or another and some of them I will probably never see again. A classmate, a coworker, a relative or a friend that will never cross path with us again. And even closer people, like mother, father, brother, sister, wife, son and daughter.

No matter how smartly we arrange for everything, the impermanent nature of our being will always prove how naively we picture the end of our most precious relationships. What we want is not always how life will unfold upon us.

And then, there are regrets.

Frank Sinatra’s “regrets, I’ve had a few — but, then again, too few to mention” might speak to only a small number of people. For many, regrets are neither too few nor too easy to permanently delete from memory.

Yet regrets, as many would confirm, are absolutely useless. No one can change the past and certainly there is no use crying over spilled milk.

No matter how much I regret, I can never go back to the last meeting with my late friend and gave him all my love & compassion.

So, in a humble effort to avoid this kind of regrets in the future, you may think, why not treat every person in our life as if we’re seeing them for the last time?

Imagine, how would you treat your loved ones if you knew you will not see them again!

For our life is all but infinite. As leaves fall from trees every autumn so are loved-ones and friends falling away from our life until the tree of our own life falls down.

Love & compassion are never enough in our world. While they’re completely free, we sometimes deny or forget to generously spread love & compassion to everyone around us. It’s the magic we often don’t see but love & compassion really give back in many folds.