reflections: what could have been
Context: The man and woman both feel the same regret for not connecting romantically when there was an opportunity.
Sid Aakowa:
There might not be a worse feeling in the world than when you miss out on an opportunity, especially when it involves the prospect of real love. The more you dwell on what could have been, the more heavily the disappoint and sadness will linger.
The fact is, you cannot force someone back into your life when they are gone, and your only option is to test the theory that: “if you love something, then let it go. If it comes back then it’s yours.” Since it is out of your control, make an honest effort to be with others, and see if your heart is willing to move on. If it is meant to be, that same person you lost is going to be coming back – but only when it’s time.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son, which displays the love a father had for his son which created this longing. The father’s youngest son took all of his promised inheritance, which was supposed to be given at the time of his father’s death, and ran away from home to enjoy the money. Instead of being angry and removing his son from his memory, the father found himself waiting everyday for his return home. So much so that, when he finally did see his son coming back at a distance, he could not wait, and actually ran to greet him. He also did not mention what wrong his son had done, but rather threw a party to celebrate. All that mattered was to express his love for him.
In the Bible, it is the depiction of what God’s love is for us, despite the mistakes we make. Similarly, in the Strangers Apart skit, this is what we feel when we have love for somebody that we cannot be with – if we ever get the chance, nothing else will matter except loving them.