The transformative power of forgiveness.
By choosing to forgive others we can break free from the chain and ball of resentment and free ourselves to heal and create positive change.
I wrote this poem at a time when I felt stuck in life. Challenges from my troubled upbringing were proving difficult to get unstuck from. It was like being stuck in the mud. I was reaping the results of ignorant bad decisions that I had made over the years. It is easy to say, ‘I forgive you.’ But it was gaining the knowledge of the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of forgiveness that equipped me to finally move out of, and on from the quagmire of my past life experiences. Beverley Joy
Listen HERE – Poem – Choose To Forgive
Have you ever cried “I’ll never forgive my
Mother, father, brother, sister, spouse or friend
For what they have done or said about me,
I can’t even forgive myself for my mistakes.”
When I withhold forgiveness, I suffer
The ‘guilty’ person may not know that I’m upset and mutter
They just go about their day while I cry in pain and anger.
My life today is evidence of my choices yesterday
We make mistakes along life’s way
Sometimes we act on misinformation
We can’t undo our regrettable actions.
My parents raised me by their values and beliefs
Misinformed, ill-equipped
For the complex land of ‘adulthood’.
To blame a family member or friend
For mistakes they have made are fruitless
It is foolish to own the misery of hate
And screw up our life just to demonstrate.
To prove to the world your life message
‘It’s your fault I’m poor, lonely, unhappy…
So now you can grow old watching me suffer.”
Blaming others gets us nowhere
When a deed is done, well, it’s in the past
Griping about it changes nothing
Whining and moaning is simply childish.
When we choose to forgive
That starts a ripple effect
For when we change, others change too
As they respond to our new behaviour.
Forgiveness does not mean relationships mend
You may have nothing more to do with them
The relationship may need to change
Spend less time together, or move away.
Forgiveness is getting up and walking away
From sitting in the mud puddle on memory lane
Sitting in the pain, the conversations and actions
Of past events and attached emotions.
There’s no shame in asking for help
To lift you up and walk alongside
While you learn to live, today,
Free from the shackles of yesterday.
So, be selfish and choose to forgive
As forgiveness is in your best interest.
Beverley Joy © 2012 of Simply Story Poetry. All Rights Reserved.
Listen to or read my other poem about Forgiveness and verses with images Be the One to Start the Trend, Forgiveness sets both parties free, Stop pecking each other, The Ripple Effect of Forgiveness,
You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms HERE
Photo by Alexander Van Steenberge on Unsplash
Simply Story Poetry 