There is a depleting number attached to each one of us; the days, hours, minutes, and seconds that we have left here are already determined. With every new sunrise, we face new challenges and those challenges poke and prod at us, coaxing out our true character. While we cannot control our circumstances or the actions of others around us, we can control our reactions. Regret, hatred, and revenge are costly; by investing in negativity, you are robbing yourself of a return on your time. Ask yourself: how much time have you wasted by tearing someone else down in an attempt to build yourself up?
Professing love for someone who has never wronged you is as useful as hauling an empty trash bag around. The trash bag is pointless until you have something that belongs in the dumpster. In the context of Hemmingway's story, the meaning of "Sign the wire with love" stretches far beyond forgiveness - it's a reminder that love not only covers a multitude of sins, but blinks away the transgressions, regarding the sinner rather as a saint.
