Forgiveness

I have to give my daughter credit. She “shakes it off,” as they say. She is forgiving and a great friend. One of her friends was mean to her. Abby was hurt and angry. We talked about it, and Abby was cautious, but I could tell she wasn’t prepared to write her off entirely. Apparently, the friend then said she was sorry “a million more times,” as Abby put it. They are now friends again. This whole scenario lasted for about five days.

Although I am a little skeptical that this will happen again, and I hate to see my little girl get hurt, I applaud Abby for her ability to forgive.

When was the last time you forgave someone? It’s not easy when you get disappointed or hurt. The first thing you want to do it give the other person a taste of her own medicine. “I’m going to be mad at you, see how you like it.” Or “Who needs a friend like you?” Who loses? Both of you. It takes energy to be mad. And it’s negative energy.

If the person sincerely apologizes, then it’s worth giving her another shot, particularly if the poor behavior isn’t typical. The person learned a lesson, knew she went too far and was big enough to apologize.

It’s not easy to forgive, but it’s a healthy way to approach life. Abby is ahead of her years in this department as evidenced by these inspirational pearls of wisdom from some wordly folks:

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
- Mahatma Ghandi

"To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”
- Robert Muller

"Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much."
- Oscar Wilde