Forgiveness is such a wonderful sounding word. However, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done — and refused to do, on too many occasions. At a wedding a few years ago, the ancient priest’s homily went something like this as he looked right at the bride and groom:
“Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.” And it went on like that until I got the feeling that he was trying to drill something into our heads. (I’m quick like that.)
That is fantastic advice for a newly married couple — and everyone else in the world, married or not. The more I read up on the topic, the more I see the refrain that if you refuse to forgive someone, no matter how heinous the act, it only hurts YOU. YOU end up carrying the wound around with you, reliving the pain of it all as YOU replay it in your mind over and over. And over. (I’ll stop now, but you get the gist.) YOU end up living in an ugly tenement of the past, not enjoying the fresh opportunity of the present.
I’ve been thinking about using meditation to quiet my mind jam-packed with millions of thoughts. Perhaps that would be a good mantra for me to repeat, “forgive, forgive, forgive, forgive.”
Here’s one New Year’s resolution for 2008: forgive, forgive, forgive, forgive, for the next 365 days, into infinity and beyond. And I’ll try to forgive myself while I’m at it, for extra credit.
LibbY
Too true. Just wish it were easier to do!