DO you know how many episodes a television drama series can run up to?
It can be quite long, depending on the creativity of the writers.
I stumbled upon one such drawn-out drama series by chance recently. In the first episode, the protagonist (a dashing hero to boot) meets a girl who works in the same place he does. He keeps his attraction in check and pretends it’s just another day at the office.
The hapless hero falls deeply in love with her as time goes by and becomes miserable (unrequited love does that sometimes). He confides his feelings to his friends who encourage him to ask her out. Unfortunately, he never finds the courage to do so. The story is stretched for many more episodes. By then, everyone in the office knows he likes the girl, except the girl!
Fifty episodes later — yes, that long — the finale finally rolls in. In the first half, he still hasn’t confessed his feelings to the clueless girl. By that time, I conclude that he would probably never do it. Five minutes left on the show (with the news coming on soon after), and I am wondering when the agonisingly long “love” affair would come to a conclusion. True enough, with literally minutes left, the girl is shown crossing a street when suddenly (oh, the drama), a speeding car hits her. In dramatic slow-motion, she falls into the lovestruck guy’s arms, bleeding profusely.
The hapless hero finally confesses his love for her as they rush to hospital and there the drama concludes. The news finally comes on and I’m left wondering how the story would have turned out if he had found the courage to confess his feelings much earlier. The story would have focused on their relationship; them having the best times of their lives. Instead, it was a long story (with many pointless episodes) of missed opportunities.
I can’t help but wonder if there are occasions where we behave like the protagonist?
Do we postpone saying “I love you” to our loved ones until our life draws to its final episode? How many times have we procrastinated, waiting for the “right” moment to do something good for them?
The answers to these questions can be a revelation, especially if we have been taking things for granted. Life is fleeting and unpredictable. We will never know when lives may end. It may be too late then.
A better strategy would be to change our life stories by not suppressing our feelings. Do what you can to summon that courage within you. If you’re already blessed with a family, don’t hold anything back. Tell them, and then tell them again how much you love them.
Shower them with affection and love today because tomorrow is never promised to us.
Stop waiting for “right” moments such as birthdays and anniversaries to do something special. Don’t let our story be an agonising painful drama just because we insist on waiting until the final episode to tell others how we really feel.
Zaid Mohamad coaches and trains parents to experience happier homes and more productive workplaces. Reach him at zaid@smartparents.com.my
The article above is brought to you by AmMetLife Insurance Berhad.