The Heart of Forgiveness.

I was reading an article earlier this morning, about a young woman who lost her only son to gang-related violence.

“He was just walking home,” she said. “coming back from the store.”

For many years, she struggled with deep regret. In her eyes, she felt responsible for his death – having sent him out on the errand in the first place.

It reminded me of the words by Dr. Edith Stauffer. That is to say, “forgiveness is a gift you give yourself, when you are ready to stop hurting for what someone else did.”

Forgiveness is often difficult to navigate. Though, I think perhaps more difficult is the process of learning to forgive oneself.

At first, it may be difficult to see things clearly. Our emotions strive to pull us away, into the fortress of a self-protective haze. While feelings of anger, disappointment and resentment begin to cloud our vision.

In order to move forward, we must move through – which, in many cases, can prove an intimidating prospect.

Why? Because it requires a letting go of our blame – and, the ability to allow unconditional love to flow out to and through you, once again.

“Forgiveness is a decision not to punish ourselves anymore for the wrongs of others or our own wrong doing,” she writes. “It is a decision to re-enter into the flow of life and love”

And, when we’re able to view self-forgiveness in a light just like this ~ my darlings, what other choice can be made?

Forgiveness doesn’t mean we need to change who we are, or ‘right’ a past wrong – rather, it means that we are willing to accept ourselves just as we are.

No matter what challenges we may face in this life, no matter the burden – we are always free to move forward, to move on…to say goodbye to those old emotional burdens, and lend a space for compassion to grow.

It’s this kind of action, this kind of forgiveness – which forms the heart of our very own awakening.

 

About

Tara Lemieux is a mindful wanderer, and faithful stargazer. Although she often appears to be listening with great care, rest assured she is most certainly‘forever lost in thought. She is an ardent explorer and lover of finding things previously undiscovered or at the very least mostly not-uncovered.

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