There is power in forgiveness.  Forgiveness is at the very heart of peace.  This is because through forgiveness, we become free of the prison of resentment and the limits it places on our happiness.  This does not mean that one has to accept harmful behavior or make oneself a victim of it.  We can just refuse to give it power over our individual lives.

I remember reading or hearing it said that forgiveness is a gift that a person gives to oneself.  This makes perfect sense in that it relieves that person from the burden of bad feelings and even trauma.  Holding on to a hurt or slight or whatever insult may be involved is a grief a person need not bear.  Sometimes it is a betrayal of a confidence or grievous suffering caused by an individual.  This is not at all easy and may take time to accomplish.  But it is something one does for oneself, not the perpetrator.

In my own life, when I have felt hurt or betrayed I have often fallen into the trap of resentment.  It is so easy to do this.  But there are times when a person must feel the pain deeply in order to let go of it.  It is oftentimes necessary, just to get it out of one’s system.  Before you let go of the pain, you must go through it to get to the other side of it.  Then you can allow forgiveness to heal you.  The point is not to let it fester and affect other parts of your life and take away your joy.  No one can take your peace of mind away from you unless you allow it.

I have found this out for myself, the hard way.  Every time you let another person control your feelings indefinitely, you have let your power be stolen from you.  But we also must remember that the gift of peace can always be claimed if only we are brave enough to forgive and sometimes, even to forgive oneself.