Forgiveness

Through life we gain and lose people. It seems this is the way life goes... we get handed friends and special people and those people can stick around for the most part of our lives or their connection to us can be cut.

Life is so short and so precious and while there are many people that we lose due to the death of the physical body, there are many instances when we lose contact with people because of arrogance, self-pride or dare I say... "snootiness."

Nobody is perfect.

I feel this is something that every single person must grow to understand. This is something that has taken me quite a long time to wrap my head around.

Nobody is perfect. I am not perfect.

I've often found myself setting my expectations too high of others. I've made remarks like "I'd never do that" or "I would have done this by now" or "I would have handled that situation so differently."

While friends and family through the course of time will most probably let us down at one point or an other, it is important to keep in mind that friendship and companionship is one of life's greatest gifts and we often take this gift and throw it back recklessly.

The heart is such a tender thing and as someone who has worn her heart on her sleeve her entire life, it is easy for me to count the amount of times it's been hurt... surprised... angered... left in confusion. While thinking about these instances hurts, nothing hurts more than the loss of someone who meant something to you.

In retrospect, is it worth losing time spent with someone because of pride or stubbornness? Holding a grudge may seem like punishment to your "opponent" but in actual fact it is both of you losing out on times spent together - laughing, loving, being yourselves.

I'm such a passionate person and it is easy for me to let my feelings of anger or spite fester inside of me and keep me silent towards people for long periods of time. But really, what does this accomplish?

This isn't to say that friends should be allowed to walk all over each other or take advantage of each other - no, that would be wrong; I am saying however that ... it's about forgiveness.

Let go of your pride.

Let go of your grudge.

Let go of your front.

You're not better than everyone else. We're all the same. We all make mistakes. We must all learn to forgive. It may take months, maybe years to really "forget" what happened, but in the meantime we must forgive.

We must forgive.

Imagine how many memories would be lost if we didn't.

Life passes by so quickly and no one can have too many friends.

Open your heart.

Unblock someone. Text someone. Call someone. Smile at someone. Apologize to someone. Accept someone.

People make mistakes. You've made mistakes. Don't let silence be one of them.