As I opened the envelope from its crease, a paper of calligraphic letters decorated in swirls of black ink came into view. My eyes scanned and hopped over the words, making out phrases like 'how are you' and 'how's school been', finally reaching the bottom. Signed below with a signature ineligible yet so eloquent was the name of my flute instructor. A name I hadn't seen in months, perhaps years. Only then had it dawned on me that it had been that long. A pit in my stomach formed as questions flooded my head. Perhaps it was pure shock, guilt, or just dumbfounded despair. How could I reply back to someone I haven't spoken to in what feels like eternity? Where would I even start? Regrets and hypotheticals have often been the root of stress. I quit playing flute after years of playing, cutting off contact with the sweetest teacher and mentor I could've asked for. Yet, flute was not the only thing I have given up. I always found myself often reminiscing over and lingering on the ‘could've beens’ of my life. Past Lives, a movie by Celine Song, illustrates this heartbreak, demonstrating and debunking the riveting concept of in-yun or Korean for fate. Essentially, in-yun is fate by multiple connections spanning across lifetimes- the notion that two may be destined or bound together because of their actions in their past lives. The film follows Nora, a first generation Korean immigrant, Hae Song, her long-lost childhood friend, and Arthur, Nora’s now husband. Though setting up the idea of a childhood romance and a love triangle, the film ultimately highlights that in-yun is not a binding force that one must submit to. In choosing and lingering between the what if’s with Hae Song and attaching his presence with her life back in Korea, Nora hesitates letting Hae Song go. But by Nora letting go of the hypotheticals by the end of the movie, the film confirms that there certainly had been in-yun between the two, and accepting that. But that circumstances we experience due to fate may merely and simply just be that- experiences. I found myself constantly clinging to all the ‘could have beens’ in my life. As in-yun demonstrates the connections and relationships we all have come across, I reminisced about the friendships, mentors, and even passions that I have lost. When spotting a little girl and her tennis racket, I bite my lip in distaste, remembering that had been me in the past. When a Google Calendar notification rings on my phone on a random Thursday reminding me of an old friend's birthday, life pauses for a minute. When driving down the avenue to the left of my school, the vision of playing flute with my instructor replays in my head. However, watching the movie made me realize I shouldn’t linger on hypotheticals. Those experiences did not disappear into oblivion the day I decided to cut those ties. It is simply part of the larger story, a piece of a mosaic that contributed to my identity and my life experience. While difficult to not regret its ending, it is often stronger to acknowledge its significance for simply what it was. This change in mindset has transformed my life in a perspective I may have never considered prior to Past Lives. When the end credits faded and the screen dimmed into black, I immediately grabbed my pen and a paper. And at the top corner, the ink skated across as I began to scribble. "I'm great, how are you?"