It was only television. And yet it was a chance to be a witness to regret. How often does anyone get to observe the deep remorse that happens when someone comes face to face with the damage they have done? Most soul searching happens behind closed faces, or in solitude. 

 

The story left a lot of details out, except how the woman regretted that night more than anything else in her life. She wished with her entire being that she could take it back. The only person in the room was not the one she owed an apology to, and yet he was listening. So she did. Twelve step programs encourage us to make amends, unless to do so would cause more harm. 

 

I am grateful for the chance to look into the eyes of someone who is sorry. To memorize that pain, and absorb the moral imperative. We learn how to hit a baseball by watching a player, or to play a guitar by observing a teacher. Novice painters keep their eyes on the artist. People learning to cook study the chef. 

 

Eight legged creatures are born with the knowledge they need to spin an intricate web. No teacher necessary. But we humans are not so well endowed. Where in the schedule of life is there a tutorial on reparations? How is a newbie meant to figure it out? 

 

The show was fictional, I admit. But asking for forgiveness is a lesson worth learning.