On Forgiveness!!

Forgiveness is the most important skill of all. Forgiving others not only for their mistakes but for their unawareness.  This makes you love them again and also allows you to forgive yourself  for not being perfect. When we restrict forgiveness in any one relationship our heart really gets blocked  for all the other relationships. Forgiveness is the art of giving and receiving love. When we close ourselves we really  lose from both ends. It is more agonizing not to forgive someone we love. Because when we restrict forgiveness and lament, it gives more suffering.

A friend of mine stubbornly holds on to bitterness and resentment  not because she is not loving but because she doesn't know how to forgive.  If we were not loving then ceasing to love someone would not be painful at all. In fact the more loving we are it is  more painful not to forgive.  If when we were children our parents had asked for our forgiveness when they made mistakes, we would know how to forgive. If we had experienced being forgiven for our mistakes we would not only know how to forgive but would have the firsthand experience  of the power of  forgiveness for transforming others. Forgiveness can be learnt .... our children will learn from us. If we forgive them for their wrong doings...they will definitely learn this art from you. That does not mean you condone or agree with their behavior in any way but you acknowledge that a mistake was made, that you want to be corrected or rather not repeated again.

Christ's message to humanity from the cross was one of   Forgiveness: "O Father forgive them for they know not what they do"  Yesterday my kids made a mess of my house in my absence......the first instance was to blow my head off on them.....but this line which I keep remembering " forgive them for they know not what they do"...because my heart is completely open and filled with love for them. At that moment my kids were unaware of the chaos they created for me it was in fact a creativity on their part.

I've always seen people who act and react in non- loving ways when they don't know better. They bear grudges out of  ignorance and innocence. When they experience a better way they go for it.  Today, we have problems because we know not what we do. Once we bear this truth in mind and hearts all mistakes seem forgivable.

People experience pain in relationships because they do not know to share their love in  ways that work. They are still missing the skills. Imagine a world which is full of  love and forgiveness- loving families, loving neighbors, loving colleagues.  Truly as, John Gray says " It is naive to assume that we can create peace in the world when we cannot make peace with the people we love."

Through practicing forgiveness we not only create a lifetime of love for ourselves but we are making a difference in the World..Aren't we???