Monday, February 24, 2014

Eric Standlee February 24, 2014 at 12:01PM

To forgive is divine—and divinely human. I believe the most important thing we have to learn in this life is the capacity to forgive. The most difficult, even horrific circumstances sometimes show up in our lives for no seeming reason and to no perceptible good end. But whether or not we can see it at the time that it happens, there is always a reason, and there is always a good end. If you cannot find any rhyme or reason for why a particular painful or difficult episode in your life should have happened, then take a look at this possibility: perhaps it came about purely as a gift—a gift to help you learn the depth and power of forgiveness. You know the expression, “To err is human; to forgive is divine”? I love that, but I like to add three more words: To forgive is divine—and divinely human. Forgiveness makes for a richer life. It makes you a richer person. What if you feel you are not a very forgiving person? As they say, practice makes perfect, and even when that is not altogether true it does at least make it better. Rita Davenport