“Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong, it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak, it sets you free.” – DAVE WILLIS

Forgiveness is often considered as reconciling with a person who has hurt you. But the motive of forgiveness is peace. It means to be in peace within yourself, to relieve yourself of the pain of the experience and understanding pain is coming more from the negative feelings about that experience than the experience itself.

I personally witnessed a couple who had everything in life-money, good looks, family life. However, lack of forgiveness spoiled their overall life and life of their three beautiful children. The topic of their fights were normal household trivial issues. But as they never forgave each other. They always built on and penned down each other’s negatives to make themselves and others feel how unfortunate they were. The whole experience of unresolved conflicts disturbed their children’s lives to a level wherein the children took sides and with a lot of pain started hating the father. This not only impacted the couple’s health but also the married relationships of their sons.It is very painful for children to see the unrest between their parents.

Let me share story of another couple wherein the lady of the house used empathy towards everyone who gave her pain. And in turn her kids and grandchildren imbibed the skill of empathy and forgiveness verynaturally. This helped the house to be full of positive energy and smiling faces.

Life has its share of ups and downs. It is the way we take this share. If people hurt us that is because that is what they have to give us. Only a sad person will give you pain. If you work for that person’s happiness, in prayer or in action, they will eventually change and give you happiness as well as blessings.

To forgive someone is to buy happiness for oneself. Forgiveness is a gift we give not to another person but to ourselves. The point is in any relationship if you learn to forgive and move on. It will help you not to carry baggage of negativity on your shoulder and live a better, healthier and happier life.