How long does it take you to answer the question, “What’s something you regret the most?”
For me, it takes time. I would probably fill the silence with small, meaningless words as memories rush through my mind, replaying moments I once lived through and later wished I had faced differently.
My decisions.
The words I spoke.
And the words I never said.
So often, I chose silence because I believed it would keep things from becoming complicated. I did not realize then that silence could be just as damaging. It created distance, turning moments into missed connections, and sometimes into people I never saw again. I still wonder if staying quiet hurt more than speaking up ever would have.
There were moments when the urge to reach out surfaced, only to disappear just as quickly. I would return to the memory of a time when I could have spoken, knowing that now, the words could only exist within me.
There are many unfinished situations in our lives. Conversations left open. Feelings left unspoken. Not because they did not matter, but because we did not have the courage to give them a voice. We regret failures, yes, but we grieve even more the chances we never allowed ourselves to take.
Some people regret holding back their trust, while others regret giving it too freely. Some are hurt because they did not take the opportunity placed before them. Others regret believing they had more time than they truly did. We love, but quietly. We assume our feelings are already known, even when they were never spoken aloud. I believed time would offer me another chance to speak. I was wrong.
Just Believe, a book of poetry and declamation, captures these quiet regrets with striking honesty. Through its verses, it places us in moments of hesitation, longing, and realization. Each piece feels like a voice finally speaking what was once swallowed, reminding us of the weight words carry when they are left unsaid.
So I return to the question, asking it again within myself: “What do I regret the most?”
The answer is not a single moment. It is every time I chose doubt over belief. Every time I stayed silent when I could have spoken. Every time I let a moment pass, leaving it unfinished.
by Camille Diane Estrada