There’s always a last time for everything we do. The last time you ate at that restaurant, the last time you took part in a hobby, the last time you spoke to so-and-so.

Sometimes we know our “lasts”.  Our last day at work. The last day of a holiday. The last time we will see a dying relative this side of the veil. 

But often it’s only much later when you’re reflecting that you realize you never did go back to that Greek restaurant before it closed, or see that friend before they moved away.  You stopped going to a particular club because you wanted a change of scene, then the scene changed while you weren’t looking and you got lost along the way. 

Of course we can’t live our moments as if they are our last. We can’t force ourselves to live at a manic FOMO pace. But sometimes I argue with someone special and I think, “What if those are my last words to them?” Or I share an intimate night with someone and wonder if that will be the last time we would be so close. 

Some regrets are for the things we do. Others are for the things we didn’t.  Nothing seems to sting more than the regret of a squandered opportunity.  There’s no ‘undo’ button for life. There’s no way to save and re-load an earlier checkpoint.

Trying to recreate a past happiness never works, even if you come close, it will still be its own thing. So the only solution is to come to terms with loss and learn to deal with endings that don’t come with closure.

There is a way to move forward though. Learn to live in the moment, be mindful and appreciative of what you have. Live with gratitude as a constant companion. Take nothing for granted. And say ‘I love you’ as often as you can.