After too many Thursday nights missed because of work, i rejoined Sangha.  It filled me with joy to see new faces joining us.  

We read about forgiveness, and the value of forgiving others and ourselves.  One of the stories was incredibly touching.  A woman's son is murdered by another teenager.  During the teen's time incarcerated, the mother visited him.  She then offered to find him a job when he's released, and a place to stay.  Ultimately she ends up adopting her son's murderer.  Which leads me to the question.

Is anything unforgivable?

I struggle with forgiveness.  Mostly of my own shortcomings.  I hesitate to forgive (again) the issues i have with my mother.  I have given her the second chance, and it didn't go well.  Actually it got worse.  For me, forgiveness was tied to returning to a relationship that was not essentially nurturing.

But it does not have to be this way.  I can accept her actions as part of who she is, and let them go (HA), and not let them bear any weight on this very moment.  But i don't have to call her up and say "forgive and forget".  I can't imagine waking up one day and being able to act like nothing had ever been wrong. 

If, in one large exhale, i am able to let it all go, i'll be lighter, happier, and free from that pain.  I need to stop feeling like i have to carry it around because i used her uterus for 9 months, like i owe it to her to feel guilty. 

I don't know if anything is truly unforgivable.  The only thing standing in the way of moving out of that grudge is the thought ... "I don't know if I could do that.  I don't know if I have that power." 

We do have it.  It's a super power, entitling us to full Red Cape privileges. 

Buddha should have worn a cape.  Every bit of dharma is empowering.

So my effort this week will focus on offering forgiveness for something every day.  Even if its just picking the skin off a big one...just start releasing the pain.  Even an ounce less would do me good. 

Peace to all. 

thank you for sharing. It is so good to know that someone took away something from sangha! I guess I'm not surprised that it was you! Peace, love, shanti, metta. M:-?

Wow. Interesting story you got there. I don't think I would be able to do what she did. Very powerful story. It takes guts to forgive someone that way, and she might just be a very noble person. Forgiveness is a hard thing to well at least for me. But I see it can be possible in the strangest ways. Well, thanks for your comment, and thanks for the inspiring story you got here. o:)