Forgiveness...

Yesterday...high impact day as I call 'em. I felt like a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. Anyways.... It's Sat. morning now. I can tell that cause there's not the usual hum of any activity out in the town as there is on weekdays-yes. I kinda like that, but at the same time I'm aware that while almost all are snuggling down in their beds enjoying a Saturday sleep in, I'm gearing up to go head out into the paddocks. Have two horses coming today from a 10 hour trip, and I bet they're cranky when they arrive.
I was posed this question yesterday in an email, and when I got home, rather than writing here, I spent some time answering it. I felt the inclination to post it here thinking that perhaps it might be of some use to others...

Q- Does forgiveness mean that you just forget what someone has done to you, even if it's something that still makes you angry and sad ? Does it mean that you don't bring it up anymore in conversation with them ?

A= Forgiveness....Good concept there.. It's an often talked about but seldom truly implemented ideology..
I would start by stating a few things about what it means..
Firstly, it's truly not-I repeat not about doing a good turn to someone who's done you a wrong. What it means is giving yourself a gift . It's about releasing a part of yourself that's filled with anger and negativity. Does it mean that person is absolved from guilt or whatever their karmic path could give them for their action ? No. What it means is you, the particular have released the negative experience in that you're not going to re live it over and over again, and will move forward in a positive light and direction, putting it truly past you.Whatever their actions, you can rest assured that karma will dole them out their own form of justice they have coming. Truth is, it's not our call to decide what karma has set for others that have transgressed us, nor is it to well in anger when someone who does wrong to others often- seems to skate through life unscathed. It's about faith and realising there is a grand plan that perhaps we're just not privy to. And it's as it should be. If we knew exactly how everything would turn out and all the possible outcomes, then there wouldn't be a lesson learned, After all, this is one big classroom, this plane.
Does it mean forgetting ? Not in that you shouldn't learn the lesson that the "stove top was hot". Grandma used to say.."Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." It doesn't mean once again, reliving it though.
You asked "Does it mean that you don't bring it up anymore ?" Yes,,,it means that. If you've truly moved past it, you don't bring it up. If you do bring it up then you haven't forgiven, you're just saving it as ammo for the next wound you can inflict to feel justice.
If it still makes you a little mad and hurt, allow those to fade. It depends on how significant the person was to you and how great the transgression, but once again, I'd like to re-state that forgiving is about a gift for yourself....*nods*
I hope that helped a little............ Tash.

Welpers..I'm running behind, so I'll head on out now. Just food for thought there...
Hey, only 7 more days till I get a day off... Weeeeeeee.. *cough*
*pulls on his boots and swigs down the last bolt of coffee*
See ya's..........*waves*