29/09/2023
*I WISH I COULD TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME.*
Have you ever uttered those words, whispered them into the quiet of the night when regrets come knocking? What moments in your life would you revisit if you could turn back the hands of time? Is it the chance not taken, the words left unsaid, or the paths untraveled that haunt your thoughts?
Do you ache to relive the embrace of a loved one you can only hold in your memories now?
Could turning back time erase the mistakes, the missteps, and the pain etched into your past? Would it grant you the wisdom to navigate life's challenges differently, to choose a different path, to be a different you? Or is the yearning to turn back time simply a testament to the human spirit's resilience, a way to acknowledge the journey that has shaped you?
Time is my greatest problem, a relentless foe that taunts my existence with each passing tick of the clock. Its ceaseless march through the corridors of my life leaves me in a state of perpetual unease. The hands of the clock mock me, turning moments into memories and dreams into dust. I long to grasp those fleeting seconds, to hold them close like precious gems, but they slip through my fingers like grains of sand.
The passing of time puts fear in me, for it reminds me of the irrevocable changes it brings. It steals away the people I love, leaving only the echoes of their laughter and the ache of their absence. It turns vibrant youth into weary age, eroding the vigor of body and mind. It transforms the world around me, making the familiar foreign and the future uncertain.
On the 22nd of December 2019, the world was still aglow with the anticipation of Christmas. It was a season of joy, a time when laughter filled the air, and the promise of togetherness lingered on every corner. But little did I know that this would soon turn into a tale of heartache and remorse.
Genevieve, my dearest friend and a sister of my heart, had reached out to me earlier that day. She had called, her voice carrying the warmth of friendship and an invitation to share in her world. She wanted me to visit, to bask in the holiday spirit with her, but in my complacency, I postponed it.
Days slipped away, and I kept telling myself that there would be time, that I could visit her later. After all, we had shared countless moments, and our bond was unbreakable, or so I thought. So, I delayed my visit, thinking that life would wait for my convenience.
Then came the 25th of December, a day that should have been filled with joy and celebration. I woke up with the intention of finally going to see Genevieve, to embrace her in a warm Christmas hug and exchange the heartfelt wishes we had always shared.
I picked up my phone, my fingers trembling with anticipation, and dialed her number. Once, twice, thrice... but there was no answer. My heart sank, and a gnawing sense of unease washed over me. I called again and again, praying that she would pick up, that her familiar voice would soothe my growing anxiety.
But it was her sister who finally answered. Her voice, heavy with grief, delivered the words I never expected to hear: "Genevieve is no more."
Time froze around me as her words pierced my heart like a dagger. I refused to believe it, insisted that it was some cruel joke. But the truth remained, merciless and unyielding. Genevieve, my cherished friend, had slipped away from this world, leaving behind a void that could never be filled.
I collapsed into a chair, tears streaming down my face like a river of sorrow. Regret flooded my soul, drowning me in the realization that I had taken her presence for granted, assuming that there would always be another day to share our lives.
In the silence of that Christmas morning, I mourned not only the loss of Genevieve but also the missed opportunities, the words left unsaid, and the moments left unshared. The regret weighed on me like an anchor, a heavy burden that I would carry for the rest of my days.
I wished I could turn back the hands of time, to that fateful 22nd of December, and rush to her side. But time, relentless and unforgiving, had robbed me of that chance forever. And in the midst of my sorrow, I learned the painful lesson that some opportunities, once lost, can never be reclaimed.