Could'a, Would'a, Should'a

In two lines, John Greenleaf Whittier formulated a kind of success vs. failure philosophy of life in his classic distich:

For all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: "It might have been!"

Thoughts of regret, either casual or overwhelming, arise from rearview mirror glances at our various "could'a, would'a, should'a" situations. These can range from a cavalier "too bad I messed up" reaction to a deeply remourseful sense of loss. It may be a simple wrong turn while driving, or a neglect of a now-expired store sale or applicance warranty, or neglecting to buy into a soaring stock market option. More serious regrets migtht include an avoidable car accident, perhaps fatal to another, or finding oneself terminally ill with lung cancer or emphysema from years of smoking. Regretful situations are endless.

"It might have been!" That thought is the greatest torment of reprobate souls in hell, who are now painfully aware of the fact that they are forever deprived of heaven's rapturous bliss because they freely chose to remain distanced from God by their unrepented sin. This ultimate regret, the eternal "might have been" remorse, was poignantly expressed by Jesus: "For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?" (Mt 16:26, RSV).