I'm sorry. Are you?

Day 6 of my 365 exercises to a happier me, suggests that I practice forgiveness by forgiving someone for something.  The book says bitterness and resentment, however mild, can sabotage personal happiness. 

I feel pretty certain that we ALL are in tune with the principle of forgiveness, and its benefits. My mother consistently whips out Matthew 18:21-22 on me when I vent about my work day.  I don't know why.  She knows she should be doing that to my sister instead of me.  I'm not her casual grudge holding child.  Granted, I have had a few significant grievances that I have had to deal with, and of course never ending daily affronts like rude drivers and my procrastinating boss. 

I'm no one's emotional doormat and I'm not super human.   However, I refuse to be weighed down by the bitter pills I have been forced to ingest during the course of my life.  Forgiveness is part of my nature, even though it is sometimes a difficult process.

I had to forgive my second fiance for abandoning our life to follow a group which I think borders on being a cult.  Forgiving him only took about five years. 

I forgave the cult leader who brainwashed my second fiance.  It took me about 10 years to stop wishing that the whole lot of them would magically disappear from the earth without being raptured!  It is apparently easier to forgive the people you love then it is to forgive the people who in essence steal the people you love. 

I forgave my first fiance for physically abusing me. (Shame on him.)

I forgave Bradley Alford for cutting in line all those times in elementary school, and I hope he forgives me for kicking him in the shin. I immediately forgave him after I exacted my revenge.  I learned early that revenge is never the way to a clear conscience.

I forgave those people on the next street over for painting the white trim on their brick home a questionable shade of yellow, but I still question their sanity in choosing the combination of ketchup and mustard for the outside of their home.  I forgave them, but I no longer drive past their house.  Who needs that jolt to the senses  every day?

I want to forgive my blog stalker, but I haven’t worked through being first disrespected and then stalked. Those affronts remain fresh. One day it won’t matter, and I won’t even have to forgive that heifer.

Today, I will forgive ...

My boss who would be the best boss in the whole world, if he would stop procrastinating my day off the cliff.

Later today, I will forgive ....

Myself for not being as awesome as this guy ....





Is there anyone you need to forgive?


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