And then, it's too late

It was Peter’s 18th birthday and he was very excited for it and had received many gifts from his family and friends. In the evening, he had invited his best friend Alex to their favorite restaurant for dinner to celebrate the occasion. He and Alex had been friends since childhood, they had a special bond between them. Peter went early to restaurant and was eagerly waiting for Alex. But time crawled on and Peter realized that Alex wouldn’t show up. He tried calling him but his phone was switched off. Due to this, Peter decided to cut all ties with Alex. 

The next day, he was pleasantly surprised to see Alex at the door step. Alex tried explaining that he had a pretty bad stomachache but for whatever he said, Peter thought that Alex was trying to avoid him. Alex tried to talk him out, but Peter was extremely adamant. As a result of this stiff, both of them did not see each other for a couple of months.

Several days passed and they still weren’t talking to each other. On a rainy day, Peter had nothing to do, so he started flipping through his old photo album and suddenly he came across the photos of him and Alex. He gazed at the photo of him and Alex and had a smile on his face realizing that he had not seen Alex and not talked to him. He came across some more photos and decided to iron out their differences. So, he decided to surprise Alex by paying a visit to his house. He got their favorite chocolate pastry to give him a little treat and left his home in a good mood. But unfortunately, fate had other plans for him. Alex’s family had been involved in a fatal car accident few days back and the sole survivor was Alex’s mother. Devastated on hearing this news, Peter never forgave himself for holding a grudge against Alex and not meeting him and sorting everything out and spending more time with him. This regret stayed with him like a gaping wound.

Peter learnt the harsh reality of life that is too short to hold grudges against anyone and one must be open and friendly as one can. He realized that making a mountain of a molehill made him lose his best friend. Please remember that life is short but regret can be long. If this story made you think of someone, reach out to them before it’s too late.