TO FORGIVE IS DIVINE

I have had to train myself to forgive people. This was something I was taught as a boy, and something I found very hard to do later on. I think it’s because the pain hits harder when it comes from someone you love dearly. I have loved and I know what it means to get hurt by those you love and look up to. Sadly, I also know what it means to deeply hurt those that love you and bear the weight of your actions and their unforgiveness. From everything I have experienced, I would advise never to hurt those that love you, and if you do, make sure you do anything and everything to gain their forgiveness because the weight of unforgiveness is very heavy for both the offender and the offended.

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I always say that life is not fair, and we all need to find ways to be at peace with those around us. I remember when I was so angry with my dad many years ago, I was so angry that I hated him so much. It took conscious effort to finally forgive him. I have shared this story a lot of times and to be honest when I remember those times my heart bleeds because the things I did in that hatred affected not just my dad but my entire family. One time my dad was arrested as a result of that same action, and my family spent a lot rectifying the case. It wasn’t easy that period for all of us even though I thought I was harming him in hate, I suffered also. The sleepless nights from the pain I felt, the times I cried in silence thinking he was hurting me but not knowing I was hurting myself even more.

This is what unforgiveness does to a person. It makes you so bitter that you put yourself and the person who offended you in a loop of suffering. You might think you are taking revenge on them, but when you look deeply, your appetite for revenge never fades, it keeps burning until it overshadows everything good in you and makes you the worse version of yourself. Today I do not know how to hold grudges for long, and I don’t even need to tell you to let go of a grudge because I am doing myself a favour by letting go. I do not want to bear the burden of hate and malice, it’s not a sweet thing to bear. I also remember how hard it was for me when I finally decided to forgive my dad. It took about a year of telling myself that I forgive him before I was truly able to let go of everything, every single hurt and pain. This is why I tell people forgiveness is divine, but you must make a conscious effort to forgive as it is not something that comes easy especially if the hurt is from someone really close.

THIS IS MY RESPONSE TO HIVE LEARNER'S
PROMPT FOR WEEK 222 EPISODE 3