We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies
–Voltaire
Earlier today I was speaking to someone at length about the power and complexity of forgiveness. When I really love somebody, it is easy for me to forgive them. It is something many friends of mine don’t quite understand completely because I will forgive pretty much anything. I think there are a mixture of reasons as to why…
First — I simply don’t get angry easily and when I do — it never lasts very long. Secondly, if I love someone — and I mean really love them with all of my heart – it is impossible for me to stop. There is this threshold, this specific point – and once someone meets and surpasses it – they are held in my heart forever. If they do something extremely hurtful to me — I will be crushed, and severely disappointed. I become disillusioned and start making up excuses for them in my head so that they won’t fall too far off the pedestal I placed them upon. I then remind myself it wasn’t ever safe to hold them so highly to begin with because, after all, no one is perfect. I may get angry, but again, this doesn’t last very long because all the love in my heart overpowers anything else. If they are genuinely sorry for what they have done — I am over it completely. If they never apologize — yet I know they are sorry because I *feel* it — I will get over it as well.
Maybe it is more so my own defense mechanism because nothing feels worse than the disappointment in someone you care for, but whatever it is — it helps me to move forward, not judge, and be able to still think of that person fondly. I think it is important to forgive, because holding onto negative energy does no good anyway. When you are able to forgive someone – it means the love you have is genuine, and everlasting. To forgive, and love without being forgiven in return, is to love selflessly without expectation.
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