Mama Kats assignment: Forgive and forget... I think

MamaKats Assignment was this"
Choose a prompt:


1.) The last time I laughed really hard...

2.) Forgive and forget...I think.

3.) I remember when...

4.) Write about something that bothered you this week.

5.) Write a poem about a favorite color.

I picked number 2!

Forgiving and forgetting... that is one of the hardest things for me to do. I am a grudge carrier... I am the Elephant... I never forget. Even though I realize that I am hurting no one more than I hurt myself. Yet, I cant seem to help myself.

Why is it so hard to forgive and forget? Is it just something elemental? Or it it our ego that wont let us let go? I know in my heart that to forgive is to turn a corner, learn a lesson and make the hurt, betrayal and anger into something worthwhile. Something useful, dare I say something almost beautiful? For there is beauty in self discovery... in humility... in empathy... and in forgiveness. We become better human beings, we become worthy of forgiveness ourselves.

But who will forgive me if I cannot practice what I preach? I am striving to do so. Every day it gets a little easier. I think I have a harder time forgiving myself of transgressions, mistakes and bad behavior.

Ive done things I don't like to admit to, Ive hurt people, Ive been meaner than I should have been. Two wrongs don't make a right. Forgiving yourself is a hard won gift you can give yourself. I just wish I had the courage to do it.

Mahatma Ghandi said these words: The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

I hope to become stronger and do these wise words justice.

Five things that I would like to see

This is my list of 5 things that I would like to see, you may agree, you may disagree...if you have a comment, please leave it for me.

1. I would like to see more kindness in the world. I would like to see people performing simple and small acts of kindness. Opening a door for a mom with a screaming child, helping someone who is lost find their way, helping an elderly person carry groceries to their car... something, anything! There is too much self centerd-ness in this world...stop thinking about just yourself and concentrate on someone else...even if just for 5 minutes. Small acts of kindness make this world a happier place.

2. I would like to see more people letting go... letting go of past hurts, past drama, past painful memories. That is not to say forget...just let them go, so you can move on and be at peace. I am very guilty of not letting go. I keep past hurts alive with my inability to understand that even though I know someone was in the wrong, it wont make them admit it or acknowledge it, or even see it. I have to stop trying to make a point and just let it go.

3. I would like to see more tolerance. Tolerance for people different than ourselves. I need to be more tolerant of people who are not as liberal minded as I am. I would hope to see that in return. Tolerance for religious preferences... or lack of religious beliefs. I am an Agnostic person... not a bad or immoral person. Tolerance for gays/lesbians and realization of the fact that they do not love differently than us, they do not feel less hurt or want different things in life. We all want to be free to love whom we love, and to be able to commit ourselves to that person for life. Its not less of a leap of faith for them as it is for us. Intolerance breeds ignorance.

4. I would like to see more people owning up to their mistakes and weaknesses. Its easy to say that we are right, its easy to say why we were not wrong... but its hard, oh, so hard...to admit our mistakes and our faults. To admit we were wrong, we did something bad, we hurt someones feelings. Its not just for the benefit of the one whom was hurt, its to our benefit as well. If you cannot admit a fault or a wrong, how can you correct it, or stop oneself from making the mistake again? I don't think we can without being honest with ourselves.

5. I would like to see forgiveness. No-one need forget, but forgiving others, even people who did horrible and unkind things to us...takes away their power over us. Makes us free to confront our anger and fear and deal with it and work on it and move on. Move on to a better place in our lives. I also would like to see us forgive ourselves. Forgive ourselves for past mistakes, for the wrongs we have done either intentionally or not. As long as we have learned from them and been genuinely sorry for them, this is a gift we should also give ourselves. Forgiveness is contagious... Spread the word!