forgiveness.
there’s a dangerous attraction to the concept of forgiveness when one holds the ability to either do so or allows those who wronged them to remain unforgiven. there is a sick satisfaction in seeing or hearing the other person apologize over and over. it’s as if there is an innate desire to feel vindicated for your anger. to not necessarily know you’re right, but to know that you’ve been wronged and that person realizes it. so you let the anger consume you from the inside out. at first you let the person do everything they can to show just how sorry they are. perhaps you chime in only to make them feel even more guilty. but when does it stop? how much satisfaction can one gather from another begging for forgiveness?
if you continue down this path, you are no better than that person when they committed the wrongdoing. you stoop to a level below them. perhaps they made a mistake, as many humans do consistently through out life. you are going beyond the territory of a mistake - you are actively hurting someone through the exertion of guilt. before long, you are caught in a cycle of anger.
the ability to forgive someone, to dispel that anger you feel is an incredible power. to remain angered, to hold a grudge is poisonous. it makes our stomachs turn and before long, we loose sight of why we were upset in the first place. we are no longer angered by the wrongdoing, but simply enraged for the sake of being enraged. we push that individual further and further away, deconstructing their humanity piece by piece. but in the process, you are doing the same to yourself. you are loosing a piece of your own humanity. it is human nature to make mistakes - to hurt others unintentionally, or in some instances, intentionally. but because it is a natural part of our behavior, forgiveness must also become a part of our humanity. for anger strips us of that which keeps us grounded. with anger there can be no love. with no love their is no meaning to the life that we live.
no one is perfect. nor will anyone ever attain a level remotely close to perfection. therefore, we must live our imperfect lives as perfectly as we can. by forgiving. by letting love in. by acknowledging that one day we will make a mistake and that we will beg for forgiveness ourselves. keep things in perspective, and above all, keep your heart light.
