| As we move into the holiday season, we become more aware of our humanity, peace on earth, good will toward others. We focus a little more on Love, generosity, gratitude, and forgiveness.
Forgiveness. Such a powerful gift we bestow upon another, yet we rarely speak of a deeper and often more difficult kind of forgiveness - the forgiveness of self.
How can we truly forgive another unless we have found it in our hearts and minds to forgive ourselves? Holding ourselves forever accountable with no hope of release, will only fortify the illusion of our imperfection. It will keep us stuck, cause us to become ill, and will most certainly be at the root of more suffering than we deserve.
We have all given and received pain. Some of us blame ourselves for both. If we have given pain, we feel overwhelming guilt. If we have received pain, we feel we must have done something to deserve it.
Some of us feel responsible for the abuse we experienced as children and in our relationships. We say to ourselves, "if only I were a better daughter/son, mother/father, wife/husband; this wouldn't be happening to me".
Still others of us have made decisions in the past we regret and just cannot get beyond. We are filled with guilt, shame, self-loathing, anger, and self-punishment.
We cannot change the past, but we can let it go. How? By forgiving ourselves. By knowing that we did the best we could at the time and, if we could have done better, we would have.
So, lay down your burden. Have a ritual burial and mourn its passing. Or write it on a piece of paper and burn it. Or pray and ask the Divine Source to help you find forgiveness for yourself. Whatever it takes...
Forgiveness. May it set you free to know the wholeness that you are, the sacredness that you are, the Love that you are. |
