“Just like the butterfly,
I too
will awaken in my own time.”

Deborah Chaskin

Friday, October 09, 2009
"When deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future." - Mary Karen Read

when this comes from one who had been hurt by others badly... it makes you feel so bad of not being able to forgive others for minor things.

we understand, yet it's hard to do so. it requires courage...to forgive. a lot. it's never easy with the angst stuck in your chest, pounding badly on your heart, waiting to burst out loud. it takes courage to put the anger and hate aside, to truly forgive. even saying that, "i forgive" takes tremendous amounts of strength to voice out. i know it's difficult, but that's what i'm trying to do. putting it all behind. whenever you feel this way, ask yourself,

"who never ever made a mistake (besides God)?"

then the next question you should ask, " have you ever made any mistake?"

yes you did. reflect on the mistakes you've made, recall how people had forgiven you. and learn to forgive the ones who had hurt you, just like how others had forgiven.

that's when you realised, everyone is given a chance, like how you were given one.

no matter how big or how small, it is true that forgiveness heals. holding on to the hurt deepens the wound. it makes your world seem gray, bleak and hopeless. like walking on an ever-wounding path, with cloudy gray skies up above you. everything is lifeless and gray.the only path for you will seem to be down a road of revenge.

looking at all the attacks in the recent years, i see people holding to hate and hurt. Again, all in the name of the greater good. well done. what good have you done? sticking needles in others bring about greater good? killing thousands of people bring about greater good? i do understand that there's been injustice done and life might had seem unfair, but this is definitely not the right way to achieve what was started out to be for the greater good. it does not bring greater good.

but i know what hate can bring.

it creates more hatred in others against your own people, forming an ever-lasting cycle of hate-revenge-tears. it increases the sufferings for your own people as others discriminate them further.

inducing fear in people is NOT a solution. When one says inducing fear in people helps to achieve your motive and goal, remember that there are more ways to solve a problem and to achieve a goal.

sometimes,
let go, and you'll see greener pastures.
you'll see brighter paths, with green grass by the sides.
it's no longer one way. there's more, with the sun shining on you everywhere you go.

heal the hurt. let go and forgive. the sun is always there, as long as you blow the clouds away.

p.s. reading about mary karen read and the tributes reminded me of jaclyn once again. mary was remembered for her smiles. so was jaclyn. it reminded me of what i wrote on the ocip blog:

080209

the day a wonderful girl left us.

putting her very best in everything she did for the trip,
and a 120% for the children in thailand.

leaving in us,
fond memories of her and our experience.

braved through her toughest times...
a brave girl she was.

though she is no longer with us,
never can we forget her and her bright and dazzling smile.

we just can't forget...living in our hearts, the warmth she brought us.

how can i forget? the sudden sms that came and dropped a bombshell on me. re-reading and re-reading. looking at photos hurts. reminded that she's not with us anymore. i can imagine how the family and friends felt.

2 young girls of similar age, passed away. always remembered, by their smiles. we just can't forget.

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