“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi said that, and nothing could be truer. It takes a great deal of strength and sometimes courage to forgive, but it’s ironic that often when we find our self in that position we don’t feel very strong. But don’t confuse the fatigue of being “beat down” with weakness – they are not the same thing.

When we are in the position to forgive someone, it means that something has been taken from us, and whether it was taken willingly or not makes no difference. Often the taking is done in some form of subterfuge or ignorance. Of course this taking can be anything from physical items or money to such lofty things as honor and love. When we realize that something has been taken from us we often feel very tired. We feel beaten and used. These feelings can even become a form of depression. When we feel like this, strength is probably the last thing that we feel.

But indeed, to get from that point; the point of being beat down, to the point of saying, “I forgive you” is a major step and takes a great deal of strength. This is why forgiveness is so very important. If you don’t forgive you remain in a weakened position. Either that or you become soured and embittered. To forgive gives us the strength to rise above the pit that sucks us down into the muck. To forgive shows the world your strength. To forgive gives us the power to continue and continue in a position of strength – not weakness.

There are some that would apply rules to forgiveness, and at times these rules do seem important. For example there are those that believe only if someone is remorseful and asks for forgiveness they should be forgiven. There are those that say, "yes, forgive but never forget". There was a time when I might have followed those rules. But now I say, why waste all that extra energy. When we are feeling tired and beat down already, not to forgive only beats us down even further - rise above it. And if you do not forget is that not only half of a forgiveness? Yes, we must learn our lessons and in that way we remember, but forget the hurt otherwise it's only going to keep on hurting.

FORGIVE

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard