“Either you have an enviable memory, or a pitiable life, to know nothing of regret.” ~ Sten, Dragon Age: Origins

I think about this quote a lot, and not just b/c DA:O is my all-time favorite video game (in part b/c of writing like this). The words “pitiable life” jump out at me; Sten appears to be saying that having regret for things one has done (and by this point, he has done much that he regrets) is, while unfortunate, more respectable than any regret one might feel for never taking any risks.

I have my share of regrets, but the ones where I wish I had said or done something differently, been a better friend/girlfriend/daughter, etc., don’t eat away at me like regrets about things I didn’t do. Nothing major, mostly just things I wish I had told people when they were still around to hear them, but they still weigh on me more than any regrets I have about things that did happen. I’ve learned from my regrets about prior actions and words, and I like to think I’m a better person for that. But my regrets about not doing something? All I get from those is a constant refrain of, “Dammit, why didn’t I…? What would’ve happened if…”

Well, okay, and the following lessons, which are still important, and I hope you never have to learn them the hard way, like I did:

1. No one has a contract with God (or whatever higher power you may believe in);
2. The time to tell someone how much they mean to you is when they’re around to hear it…not when you’re standing next to their grave.

…wow, that turned out way more depressing than I intended. But you know what? At least now, all the important people in my life, present and future, will always know how I feel about them.