Forgiveness

“Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs.” ~Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Responding to a recent “Life Lines” post about kicking our bad habits, a subscriber confided that giving up grudges tops her list of resolutions this year. We agreed that forgiveness is essential to our wellbeing — but not so easy to put into practice. Speaking for myself, I find it difficult to let go of righteous anger and resentment. But I’m trying.

Everyone struggles with grudges, emotional wounds, and petty grievances. Yet we do so at great cost to our own health and wellbeing. As Anne Lamott writes in Traveling Mercies, “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” 

Forgiving people who hurt us doesn’t necessarily mean that those damaged relationships will return to normal. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that they should resume at all. But releasing toxic anger and bitterness will help us move forward in peace. Simply let go, and don’t look back. ~CL