Sunday, January 23, 2011

True Forgiveness via a new friend

"I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one. ~Henry Ward Beecher"

I was talking with a new friend about this very subject and she said something that hit true that had come to her. It was similar to this quote, something to the fact that if you forgive and truly forgive, then you cannot bring it up again whether it be 3 weeks or 20 years later. Not if you truly forgive.

It's hard to do that though. One doesn't want to forget what wrong was done to them because they don't want to be put int hat situation again, they don't want to be vulnerable... but that is forgiveness, as she so eloquently reminded me, it is being vulnerable again.

Do you learn a lesson? Yes.

Is it a fun way to learn? Heck no.

But true forgiveness is such a healing balm to the soul and I think I like the outlook Ghandi put on it, "The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~Mahatma Gandhi"

They sure don't make it easy to be strong...

Thanks to my friend for talking to me about it. I love being reminded.

Hope you all have a good Sunday!

Love,

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