Forgiveness

I have been meaning to blog about my trip to England with my mom for two weeks, but now that I have a moment to do so, its going to have to wait. Instead, I want to take a moment and talk about something of greater depth.

Forgiveness.

FORGIVENESS.

I think that forgiveness is one of the most difficult things for humans to achieve. Maybe I should speak for myself. It can be extremely difficult for me. The temptation is to feel somehow empowered by the anger and the grudge. Instead, you are hurting yourself...not the person who you refuse to forgive.

I just finished watching Oprah (go ahead and groan...still I love her!). The show was all about forgiveness. The two featured guests were "sheros" who had every reason not to forgive, but instead chose forgiveness and even love.

The first was a woman who was shot in the head when two teenagers broke into her house to steal her car. She survived, but had to re-learn everything from swallowing to walking to speaking. She is now legally blind. This amazing woman has not only forgiven the boy who shot her, but regularly visits him and loves him like a son gone astray. She has not only freed herself to live again, but has changed the life of the guy who shot her and given him hope for himself and his future (of which he had none at the time of the incident).

The second lady was a victim in the 2005 London bombings. She lost 75% of her blood, her heart stopped 3 times and she had both of her legs amputated below the knee. She, too, has been able to forgive the suicide bombers who caused this tragedy. She is alive both physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Both are grateful for their "second lives" however different they are from the first. Neither wallow in "what ifs" or "whys".

They describe forgiveness as refusal to harbor negative thoughts and emotions and as "peace".

How much we all have to learn from these two woman. Think of the small things that we refuse to let go of in our daily lives. Maybe even some really big things that eat away at us. UN-forgiveness was described as a daily glass of poison that takes the joy of life away from us. Is it worth it? Short answer - no.

I wanted to share these thoughts, encourage everyone to work towards peace and forgiveness and to share this website.

The forgiveness Project

The lady who lived through the London Bombing is a member of this foundation. Individual forgiveness and peace is a first step towards international peace and unity. I never thought of it exactly this way, but I think it is really beautiful. Check it out.