fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Getting To Know-Forgiveness (II)
By: Neha Sandhir S
Tags: Self, Creativity, Healing, Energy, Forgiveness

The first step in this very important and courageous journey of Forgiveness is-’Realization’. As I’m typing, my mind is recreating some visuals for me and I can again feel how important the clarity of this first step of realization is to embark on this journey.

Before I go any further, I would really like to share a beautiful statement I read somewhere a while ago, but not sure of it’s origin— -

“ Forgiveness is a hug you give to your soul.”

Remember this and it will make your journey a lot easier :)

The second step to forgiveness is — ‘ Forgiving yourself’.

It is a wonderful start to knowing yourself. You forgive yourself by acceptance.

Acceptance of:

- your past behaviors or choices

- your regrets

- the seeds that planted negative feelings in heart

All irrespective of who or what triggered them.

Once you accept, it’s time to hug and express love to your inner self by showing all the compassion you can give. This compassion reflects your acceptance of whatever was in the past and an approval to move forward in this journey.

The approval signifies your willingness to work on yourself to heal your inner self and liberate from the powerful clutches of the past.

It’s not easy, but it’s definitely possible with the right attitude.

Remember, to always try your best to stay empathetic towards others during this journey. It’s a very important aspect for your inner self as their healing journey begins !

You can never change your past in any way, unless of-course you have a time machine 😃. Whether it’s how you behaved in the past or how anyone else treated you back then, changing the past is not in your hands.

But, the good news is, you can always work on yourself to achieve that inner piece you’ve been longing for , after your two milestones of forgiveness in this journey-

1) The First step to Forgiveness- ‘Realization’ and

2) The Second step to Forgiveness - ‘ Forgiving Yourself’

So, my dear friends,

Relax- Close your eyes-Take a few deep breaths- Begin your liberating journey to Forgiveness.

©Neha Sandhir. All Rights Reserved
De-clutter Within
By: Thalia Dunn
Tags: Poetry On Medium, Self Improvement, Self-awareness, Poetry, Forgiveness

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Your Chance to Play the Festive Half-Are-Stupid Game
By: James Mcintosh
Tags: Life Lessons, Law Of Averages, Nonsenseatwork, Stupid, Forgiveness

Your Chance to Play the Festive Half-Are-Stupid Game

The Law of Averages does not identify which half is stupid. (free public domain: clipart-people.com)

It’s the season to be nice and forgiving. So this is the safest time of year for you to try the following social experiment. I call it “having fun with averages.”

According to the law of averages, fifty percent of the people you interact with daily are above average intelligence. And the other fifty percent? Exactly! They are below average intelligence.

The law does not identify which half is which. But that is exactly what makes the game possible and so much fun. YOU get to choose whether they are above or below average intelligence.

Here are the rules. Treat everyone you in the morning as below average intelligence and note how they respond. Do the opposite in the afternoon.

Here’s what I’ve learned by playing this game. People tend to behave the way I expect them to. And people tend to treat me the way I treat them.

Now go on, play the game. I’m sure fifty percent will forgive you.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.
What Does Forgiveness Look Like in the Workplace?
By: Dr Rick Goodman
Tags: Employee Engagement, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not a term that many of us associate with the workplace. There are a number of reasons for this, I think, starting with the fact that it just sounds so soft. We believe that running a productive and efficient workplace means holding people accountable for their actions — and indeed it does. But does that mean there’s no place in your company culture for forgiveness?

I hope the answer to that is no. Because while I whole-heartedly affirm the need to ensure your team members are doing their job — and understand the consequences of not doing their job — I also think it’s important to make forgiveness a key workplace value.

Why Forgiveness Matters

Why? Because a lack of forgiveness can cause your employees’ sense of confidence to become completely eroded. Your team members need to feel like you trust them to do their job well — but if you spend all your time documenting their wrongdoings and keeping track of every screw-up they’ve ever made, how are they supposed to feel trusted? How are they supposed to feel empowered?

A lack of forgiveness in the workplace, then, doesn’t just hurt people’s feelings. It can actually lead to much higher employee turnover, as the members of your team increasingly fret that you’re focusing too much on their wrongs and not enough on their achievements — that perhaps they’re not cut out for the job you’ve given them after all.

Bringing Forgiveness to Your Workplace

So how do you ensure that your workplace culture is one that embraces forgiveness? I’m not going to offer any easy answer or silver bullet here. I think forgiveness is something you work toward daily. With that said, I think it’s worth considering these questions:

Do you have an overzealous documentation process, keeping track of all your employees’ wrongdoings to the extent that it does more harm than help?

Do you regularly practice forgiveness — even if that just means offering a second chance or cutting employees a break for an honest mistake?

Do you expect your employees to forgive you, when you mess up? Is forgiveness something you ask for?

Maybe meditation on these questions can point you toward a workplace that’s built on forgiveness — and, thus, a workplace that empowers its employees!
I Need to Forgive You
By: Galit Birk
Tags: Relationships, Self-awareness, Heartbreak, Poetry, Forgiveness

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Spiritual Alzheimer’s:. Forgetting we are created in God’s…
By: Mark C Watney
Tags: Alzheimers, Mercy, Entitlement, Forgetfulness, Forgiveness

Spiritual Alzheimer’s:

Photo by Simon Berger (Unsplash)

Nine years ago I watched my father — a college professor with two Ph.D. degrees — die the the slow death of Alzheimer’s.

Like my father, I too became a professor (but with only one doctorate degree). And watching him die this slowly and painfully has filled me with a dread of this disease. I would much rather die of cancer, Ebola, the Black Plague, or better yet, on the battlefield for some great cause, gurgling out my final epitaph with a mind vividly aware of my body’s passing.

So when I struggle to remember my students’ names, or a lecture I gave a semester ago; or when I find myself searching for my glasses which are on my face, a fear comes over me…this is the kind of suffering which could damage one’s theology.

Yet I’ve begun to realize that dementia is really a physical manifestation of a far deeper disease: a progressive forgetfulness of who we are as image bearers of God: an Alzheimer’s of the Soul.

It is a disease which afflicted the ancient Hebrews right through the Old Testament: just three days after God had miraculously parted the Red Sea as they fled from their former slave-masters, the Egyptians, they complained that He had forgotten them in the desert — because the water was bitter. A bit of bitter water was enough to begin snuffing out their memories of a miraculous rescue at the Red Sea just a few days previously. And so God had to institute sacred rituals like the Passover to help them re-remember who they were, and what they had been rescued from.

And we are no different. Offered the gift of forgiveness and mercy, we complain that our beer is bitter; that the neighbor’s dog keeps pooping on our lawn; that our boss doesn’t pay us what we’re worth; that our neighbors are eroding our property value.

Wendell Berry once reminded us that “rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”

But we forget

We have spiritual Alzheimer’s.
Say What You Need to Say
By: Laura Mcdonell
Tags: Words, Faith, Mindset, Growth, Forgiveness

Say What You Need to Say

Photo by Rohit Tandon on Unsplash

Words Left Unsaid

Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say. (Mitch Albom)
The cord is now cut with this person of my past, may the peace that I feel and relief of this…
Tags: Poem, Spells, Closure, Cord Cutting, Forgiveness

You were right about so many things and I never took the time to reflect on your side. I didn’t honor or respect your feelings, I acted and reacted with my pride. Your reaction to my last explosion was absolutely fair. In the end I did a terrible job of showing you that I care. I held you accountable for another’s past sins. Lashed out and projected pain onto & at you, in this story nobody wins. I’m sorry for the hurt I’ve caused & all that I may have damaged. My words mean so little at this point, they’re no more than an undersized bandage. The wound is too big to ever completely heal & will leave a painful scar. The best we can do now is carry on & stuff all residual energy & feelings into an airtight, Apothecary Jar. Save it for healing yourself & I’ll do the same. Forget the good, forget the bad, forget my face & name. Before you do, see my remorse & genuine apology. Let the validation & my accountability of my actions wash over you like the waves of the healing sea. I cleanse us both of all regret & erase any remaining negativity from each other’s debt. With these words it’s now truly in the past, free we both at last have been set.
i ate my own placenta, and im a bloody woman.
By: Lisa Martens
Tags: Poem, Relationships, Poetry, Love, Forgiveness

i ate my own placenta, and im a bloody woman.

The prodigal son/is supposed to be forgiven/but I am not holy. am I really supposed to stand here/and give you my best food, and do you/all kinds of favors? I am a bloody woman/I ate my own/placenta/I am considering/my words carefully, my cannibalism/carefully. i am picking/what i decide is natural/and sifting it out. if what is natural is always holy, then i have some/natural remedies for you.

No, I am a bloody woman/not a holy forgiver. I do not/will not/invite you back in. I can sit here and be indifferent to you and you can/continue to exist/without my forgiveness and love. But it’s a pandemic, you say. So what, I say? When I was in pain before, you were indifferent. It only matters to you now/because it is your pain. You’re only sorry because now it is your pain/I am just blood, I have no/sex for you here. I am carrie on prom night/there is no home for you here.
Homecoming
By: Harley King
Tags: Relationships, Patience, Poetry, Love, Forgiveness

Homecoming

Photo by javo Portraits on Unsplash

I stand at a window

waiting for your arrival.

A cold north wind blows

through the rafters and

sends shivers down my spine.

I have not seen your beautiful face

in over two years when you ran

screaming from the house

after one of our many fights.

You called to let me know

that you were okay but that

you would not be coming home.

I received a few letters over

the months—postcards mostly

from some new place you were

visiting. You never seemed to set

down roots in any place for very long.

Like some dark demon was driving

you to keep searching for that perfect

place. I have waited patiently for you

to return home. I knew you would

eventually. And when I received

your call two days ago, I felt

my prayers had been answered. You

said you were coming home to stay.

I want to take you in my arms and

say that everything will be all right.

I want to feel the softness

of your brown hair in my face

and the warmth of your flesh

touching mine. I have thought

about you every minute of each day

that you have been gone. I have

dreamed of this moment and prayed

for it to happen. I do feel a bit

nervous this morning. Afraid it

is all a prank. Another attempt

to hurt me. I want to believe

what you said. That you were done

running. That you had found

a sense of peace and a taste of joy.

I have prepared a short speech

welcoming you. And I cooked

your favorite meal—tortillas

and refried beans with jalapenos.

The minutes tick away and I

struggle to keep my faith. I hear

your car before I see it pull

slowly into the driveway. Your

face peers out from behind

the windshield. I want to rush

to greet you but I wait. The car

door opens and you step outside.

I see a smile on your lips when

you catch a glimpse of me at

the window. The time has come

for forgiveness. I open the door

and throw my arms around you.
Pride vs Bond
By: Rochelle Silva
Tags: Bonds, Forgiveness, Poetry, Pride, Life

Feelings of hurt, guilt and pain,

Flood through my entire being.

The wrongs I did, the scars I made,

Hurt me more than words can say.

It seems as if there’s no future,

Not a single hope that things would get back,

To the state they once were.

But I want to forgive, to move on and be happy again,

To hug you and say that I’m sorry,

To see that smile on your face once more;

Because you matter to me more,

You mean so much more than my hurt pride.
True Pratikraman after Self Realization — Asking for forgiveness with repentance
By: Dada Bhagwan
Tags: Forgiveness, Apology, Mistakes, Spiritual Growth, Life

Questioner: How can one do true pratikraman? When is the pratikraman considered pure?

Dadashri: True pratikraman begins after Self-Realization. Once you attain the enlightened vision and replace your illusion with the correct vision, only then will you be able to do real pratikraman. Until then, one can still decrease his faults with pratikraman. If one does not attain this enlightened vision, but still does pratikraman after having done something wrong, one binds less karma. Do you understand that? Karma is shed with pratikraman. Why do we quickly attempt to remove spilt coffee from our clothing?

Questioner: To remove the stain.

Dadashri: Likewise, you must wash away internal stains. These people here immediately wash away their internal stains (arising reactions of anger, greed, false pride, and illusionarybehavior), so everything remains spotless and meticulous. When it is done only once a year, are you able to clean all your clothes?

My pratikraman is the ‘shoot-on-sight’ pratikraman. What you consider pratikraman is not pratikiraman at all, because the stains are not removed, while mine are spotless. Pratikraman is when all the stains (atikraman) are removed and the clothes are immaculate.

Clothes must be laundered every single day. Each individual clothing needs washing. What do the Jains do? They accumulate a year’s worth of dirty laundry and then attempt to wash it all at once. The Lord certainly does not allow it. Each clothing needs to be washed separately with great care. When you manage to wash at least five hundred a day, you will be making progress.

However many of your faults you are able to see, that many faults will decrease. This lady here is able to see five hundred of her faults a day, so what prevents others from seeing their own? Something is still lacking. Surely it is not because they have become completely faultless that they cannot see their faults?

The Lord has emphasized the need to do pratikraman daily, but people only do it once a year during Paryushan (Jain religious event of eight days). The Lord said that a true merchant is the one who keeps an account in his record book for the entire day, tallying his ledger in the evening. If he were to log everything just once a year, how would he manage to remember all his accounts and set his books straight? The Lord has stressed the importance of keeping a logbook for the entire day, as a true merchant would. If an entry is made incorrectly, that is if a misdeed occurs, it must be erased through pratikraman.
The Hardest Art
By: Rishabh Choudhari
Tags: Poem, Art, Hard, Introspective, Forgiveness

The Hardest Art

A boulder weighing down,

A pain which refuses to die,

A constant bitter biting away,

Forgiveness the hardest of arts.

Many cycles of violence,

Many animosities,

Many tragedies,

which could have been ended.

Forgiveness the hardest of arts.

The shortness of life,

too slim to carry the burden,

which arises due to the treachery,

that is memory.

But to forgive is to not forget.

To forgive is to let go of hatred.

To forgive is to let go of animosity.

To forgive is to drop that boulder.

To forgive is to come at ease,

and be the gentle breeze,

gliding around everywhere,

filing the lungs of life for all.

Forgiveness the hardest of arts.
Subtle Strings
By: America Zed
Tags: Poetry On Medium, Pain, Poetry, Love, Forgiveness

Sometimes

you don’t know the conditions,

Still one spark will find a match.

Then after years

have flown by you will see,

Each soul has strings attached.

But do not fight

with blame or shame,

You have your fine wood

for all things.

Just hear

the music deep down

without vengeance.

Every

love has

subtle strings.
“Can You? Will You”
By: Thalia Dunn
Tags: Relationships, Seasons, Moving On, Poetry, Forgiveness

POETRY

“Can You? Will You”

Photo by Shaojie on Unsplash

Come, walk with me,

for I have time to spare

and a question to ask

before I leave.

I love this time of year,

with leaves of gold

and the smokey cloud

from wood stoves

wrapping around us.

But I digress.

I never meant to break your heart,

nor destroy your dreams,

splinter our home,

or toss aside my ring of gold.

And over the years,

I tired of dragging around regret

and finally forgave myself.

Forgiving myself

was like setting fire onto my heart

for what I had done,

hating myself for hurting you

and then,

when the fury was spent,

questioning why I had done

what I did

which led me down

such a meandering memory lane

that I stopped hating myself

and realized

I did the best I knew

at that time in my life.

And after all the drama,

all the exhaustion,

I looked down at my hands

and kissed them.

Down to my fingertips,

I got it.

I felt free,

ready to move on,

ready to invite you here

on this walk today

to say

“I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

I see the look of surprise

in your eyes,

or perhaps my question

evokes memories

you’d rather forget?

Can you allow the scars to fade?

“Look! There’s that oak tree where

we practiced targeting.”

Once so raw and wounded,

those old hatchet marks

are now just part of the trunk.

I yearn for your forgiveness

so that we can release the past

and let it become a part

of who we were

and not a tool

to shape the future.

I’m enjoying life now,

treasuring my solitary walks

in a landscape so different from this,

appreciating where I am.

“Look! Do you see how tall

the firs have grown?”

The seasons have slid by so fast.

And here we are today;

lines around our eyes,

grey streaks in our hair.

Yes, the years have been kind to us

in our separate worlds.

But now,

before we return to our own lives,

before we enter our winter,

I wonder,

“Can you forgive me?

Will you?”
KILL THE TRUST INSIDE
By: Mrz Bernal
Tags: Trust, Unexpected, Protection, Forgiveness, Intentions

Anyone can kill when emotions start to fill, Every thought of never to harm goes downhill, Only the intended target in mind stands still, The courage to dive in action already a swallowed pill, Locating the victim creating maps drawn by the ill, The killer in motion searching heart pounding like drill, the tiny bit of fear often later turns to thrill, Inspired by the accomplished mission of a life planned to steal, Bodies without life reminds the suspect of escape’s reveal, Being caught and punished causing the want to conceal, Depending on the scene adds up the time remaining to cover like seal, Suspects of evil rarely caring of this ordeal, Leaving the innocent’s remains exposed purposely without a shield, Hoping to see the story on the news by dinner during meal, Making them proud of giving unknown viewers fear and chills. These type that murder named serial but the kind that doesn’t spill, I’m not talking about those, I mean the ones with normal appeal, This group certainly worse because they blend with normality surreal, How do you protect all from those trusted painting plans soon to peel, Always the one nobody imagines or even thinks they’d ever yield, Every time they find out after yellow tape surrounds a field, The only person no one thought to be front page news by murder mill, Second thoughts and disbelief come’s instantly then later brings until, You’ve pondered all the facts and habits formerly seen as usual strikes unreal, Automatically your instinct to trust all others so easily stack like bills, Enabling you to height your senses this process drives your second thoughts uphill, The heart beat inside you pounds every beat you feel, Not everyone gets a second chance before the will, More of us need to keep the thought “I could be next” on refill, since there is no clock showing us our death is a quarter till, Most importantly every humans deck’s not playing with cards that give us deal, Being alert and observant can save our loved ones from a cemetery kneel, too nice too often the path down a barrel pointing a light too real, held by the known who pulls and off goes alive, as they roll away on wheels.
Mom is Now Old
By: Josie Elbiry
Tags: Poem, Elder Care, Motherhood, Abuse, Forgiveness

So now you’re alone

living and dead in exile

Cortisol rips me

Get me this or that you whine

You’re so fucking pathetic.

Naked memories

of hiding from girls at school

because you taught fear

because threats were your language

be satisfied I am here

betwixt warm heart and cold stone.

Miracle: I still love you.

Josie ElBiry, 2020
On Fairness and Forgiveness
By: Zainab Jafri
Tags: Scuzzbucket, Justice, Poetry, Crime, Forgiveness

The defendant of forgiveness enters

With a cause against the absurdity of the law

And with a gloomy face lost in thoughts

Fighting for the innocence of the one charged

Are the Lawmakers innocent, Milord?

He argues for the petty thief

So petty he was, he smelled mischief

What was eating Mr. Lawyer so much?

What does he care about the useless leaf?

Justice this and justice that

Do you fool Your Honor just like that?

Your Honor just wants to go home

Life can’t be postponed

For a petty thief who smells mischief

How do you justify justice, Milord,

When the guilty made us all bound

By the law that serves not you not me?

Mr. Prosecutor rolls his eyes

Unbothered, ready for a plea

Excuse me, I do exist

I’ve been exploited

But you don’t persist?

My Lord, if you will

I beg your pardon

But the defendant’s logic is so broken

How dares he, I can’t imagine

Forgiving a crook who brags his burden?

The seaters hoot at this proposition.

Mr. Defendant, please

You’re not a philosopher

I just want my court in order

Leave the door or you must settle

But Milord…

Order, order, order!
Beyond the Psalms of War
By: Hannah Galactic
Tags: Broken Heart, Psalms, Grace, Prayer, Forgiveness

A poem is meant to be heard.

You will want to rotate your phone.

Beyond the Psalms of War

A Poem, A Psalm of Grace

Oh God, You are my God

Earnestly I seek you

My soul longs for you

You are my refuge. You are my peace.

But the other closest to my heart

Has placed a shiv there and run away

My soul is bleeding. My grief hurts.

And my confusion goes on and on.

Swear words and condemnations keep arising

And yet, dear God, I choose to bless

But my own heart wavers…

Could I have done more? Seen more? Helped more?

You gently lift my chin, caress my face

For there is only one savior, one hope, and one home

Oh God, You are my God

Earnestly I seek You

You are my resting place, and savior of every soul

May we all move forward in Your Kingdom

Individual intimacy with the God of our hearts, our lives, our very breath

Guiding us ever closer in a circle of lasting peace.
This Old Heart of Mine
By: Hannah Galactic
Tags: Boundaries, Faith, Poetry, Spoken Word, Forgiveness

You will want to rotate your phone.

This Old Heart of Mine

A Poem, An Exploration of Love and Boundaries

Darkness has reigned

In this old heart of mine…

The continual pull of a decrepit family tie

But how to cut the cords

Not only to deception

But to bitterness, envy, and despair?

The very hope of freedom

Seems tied to hatred,

After all, I must cut you out to be free

A better way. A better way. A better way.

The Red Sea must part

A path yet unknown

Help me to follow You

…All the way to the Cross

With the same love, dignity, and Hope

That still promises to set the whole world free.
Getting To Know-Forgiveness (I)
By: Neha Sandhir S
Tags: Life Lessons, Healing, Energy, Happiness, Forgiveness

There was a time I didn’t even know the word-’Forgiveness’ actually weighed a lot and carried a deep meaning, it wasn’t just a casual word. I guess until we go through our own process of karma and hardships emotionally or otherwise, forgiveness is just another word in the dictionary.

We all carry or have carried our set of emotional baggages. Our emotions kindle feelings and vice a versa. As long as those feelings create happy -peaceful- positive vibes inside and around our heart, they have a positive and vibrant affect on our inner self. The moment our heart starts accumulating feelings and emotions of past hurt or present hurt in any form, our body, our brain , our heart, our whole system starts getting confused with all these recurrent subsided negative feelings and emotions.

It thus, begins reciprocating to all of it over a period of time in a confusingly unkind way. It reciprocates in the form of anxiety, depression, chronic health illnesses like backaches, migraines etc, and in extreme cases, a disease.

Many times a disease actually presents itself due to the dis-ease created within one’s body over a period of very long time by accumulation of negative emotions, subsided feelings of hurt deep down over the years.

The weirdest part of it is when they realize the reasons of occurrence might be related to all the embedded hurt caused by people closest to them . It might seem so unnatural for a moment ,but it sure is very much possible, if believed from a spiritual perspective .

I know, few of my statements might have prompted you to question a lot of expressions penned here. And it is very normal and important too. Since forgiveness is all about believing in the laws of spirituality. Once the belief sinks in, it all makes sense !

Believe me when I say this, I myself realized the need and importance of forgiveness not very long ago ! I started learning more about it through books, media and mostly through the two closest spiritual people around me - my loving husband and my caring sister.

I created my own spiritual process thereon as I took my first steps on this very very long journey to forgiveness. And it will continue, until I attain my peaceful state of complete forgiveness.

When a person goes through the worst phase or phases in their life that don’t seem natural ,it is exactly the time when the said person might start to believe in and realize the actual purpose and importance of forgiveness in their life.

The worst part comes when their forgiveness journey involves forgiving their close relationship/relationships- like their mom , dad, sibling , cousin, aunt, uncle, best friend or might even be in-laws.

Hence,

I strongly believe, the first step to forgiveness is realization.

Realization of the fact that you need to believe in, understand and practice forgiveness not for others but for the peace and happiness of your own inner self !!!

And when it’s time, you will know :).

©Neha Sandhir. All Rights Reserved.
Should We Forgive Someone Terrible in Life Once They Have Died?
By: Joel Eisenberg
Tags: Death, Life, Crime, Culture, Forgiveness

Should We Forgive Someone Terrible in Life Once They Have Died?

Image Courtesy of Unsplash; Simon Gibson, photographer

I have been told I am not enlightened enough to believe otherwise, but to my mind blindly forgiving everyone in death is disingenuous.

For example, I will not forgive a killer, defined in this context as one whose singular intention is to take an innocent life in offense, as opposed to self-defense. That individual is irredeemable to me. Mental illness is a complex topic, and it can certainly be argued one is not in their “right mind” if they set out to deliberately claim a life. I don’t disagree. We can also blame upbringing and environment.

Regardless, intentional killing, potentially rife with reasons or excuses, is unapologetically a personal line.

Accidental killing, or manslaughter, I consider on a case-by-case basis.

I put officers of the law in these boxes as well.

Would you forgive a terrorist, foreign or domestic, a serial killer, one who beats their spouse or one who tortures animals? Extreme examples, none of which justifies the concept of blind, or blanket, forgiveness.

I would not mourn their deaths, so please refrain from justifying how proper it is for everyone to forgive in all cases.

It’s not.
Why You Need To Forgive…And It May Not Be For The Reason You Think
Tags: Forgive Yourself, Forgive, Forgiveness

When someone does you wrong, you can rightly feel aggrieved, angry, upset or any number of negative emotions.

Left undealt with, these negative emotions can lead to severe illness. At the very least, negative emotions affect the digestive system which can obviously give you digestive disorders such as IBS, but the digestive system is connected to your skin, so you can end up with troublesome rashes, eczema and unexplained topical issues. And that’s before we get to heart and lung issues.

Let me tell you something that’s close to my heart: my mum died at aged 67 which was pretty young really. She died of cancer. She had carried out a deep anger for someone for nigh on 30 years; time and time again I told her to let it go, but she didn’t listen and — although I can’t prove it — I’m certain that it was that deep anger that turned into cancer. Secondly, she kept saying that she was going to die at age 67 because that was when her mum did. Anyone who knows anything about the law of attraction and vibration knows that what we put our energy into happens.

So, our much-loved mum died at the age she had convinced herself that she was going to with cancer that I believe was caused by this 30-year anger. I obviously can’t speak for anyone else; I’m just saying what I have observed from one of the people I love most in the world.

Nevertheless, there was an experiment done a while back by Professor Gates of the Psychological Laboratory of Washington DC. He tested emotions and the reactions on the body by analysing a bead of perspiration during each emotion. It transpired that when someone felt a bad/negative emotion, the perspiration showed a high level of acid.

We know that acid is not good for us: it burns our skin and internal tissues. So, by feeling these negative emotions, we can literally be poisoning our bodies by putting high levels of acid into them. We will all have felt that feeling of anger in the pit of our stomach, or acid indigestion when we’re stressed.

And this is why it’s so important to forgive. Forgiveness is not so much for them, as for YOU. For you to let go of those negative feelings; to make amends with the other person or the situation; to redress the acid imbalance in your body. By focusing on the negative or the wrongdoing, all you will ever do is cause that acid build up in your body, not to mention releasing far too much adrenaline and cortisol, which are fine for short periods of time but not so great over the long term.

By forgiving and letting go, and moving on, you can focus on the positive and fill your body with the good, life affirming alkaline stuff which your body and your health will thank you for.

And don’t forget, you can — and should — forgive yourself too!
Suppressed Blunder
By: Rannae Dawn
Tags: Poetry On Medium, Mistakes, Hope, Poetry, Forgiveness

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Little Terrors
By: Annine Massaro
Tags: Family, Healing, Poetry, Love, Forgiveness

Little Terrors

Photo by Kevin Gent on Unsplash

More compassion today

Reflected as I close my eyes

And see your face big brother.

Eyes of watery green,

Unkempt brown hair

And full cheeks of ruddy red.

I am feeling myself as you

Running so fast down those stairs,

Trying to get away.

You slipped as you rounded the corner

From the living room into the kitchen.

But you made it

Into that tiny bathroom.

I didn’t hear

I just knew you locked the door.

Instead of relief,

I thought — useless

Even more afraid for you.

I can’t recall where I was

As I watched.

Like an insignificant little fly

Through holographic eyes.

I heard him too

Running after you.

All six foot two, 240 pounds,

Down the carpeted stairs

Sounding like thunder.

I closed my eyes

So I could disappear

Praying that you would be ok.

What had you done?

I can’t remember.

Surely nothing bad enough

To warrant this response.

None of us ever had.

There was no justice,

No mercy

In his actions that day.

The day when the door got ripped away.

More fear was added to the space

Between us.

This is the place I miss you from.

I release this attachment to our shared

Woundedness.

I remember your face

You must have been 4,

I was 3.

I was running as fast as my little legs

Could carry me

And you were sitting in the grass

Playing with a toy.

You reached out to me as I ran past,

Wanting my attention.

I saw you reaching,

Felt your wanting —

I didn’t even slow down.

It made me giggle

When I looked back.

I love you from this space.
Rejoin
By: Josie Elbiry
Tags: Tanka, Life Lessons, Haiku, Healing, Forgiveness

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Circumcision is an irreversible, elective surgery without significant benefits according to a…
By: Loren A Olson Md
Tags: Newborn, Parenting, Baby, Children, Pregnancy

Jill Sauve on Unsplash

Circumcision is an irreversible, elective surgery without significant benefits, according to a group of physicians.

An informal survey of physicians revealed the risks of circumcision are small and potential benefits are limited. They felt except in religious or cultural traditions, no justification exists for an irreversible, elective surgical procedure.

These physicians felt it best to wait until the person with the foreskin can make his own decision about circumcision.

Some physicians held much stronger opinions. They referred to circumcision as genital mutilation practiced without consent and, therefore, a violation of human rights.

Parents are proxy decision-makers who continuously make decisions with which their healthcare providers may not agree and with which the adult version of that child may also disagree.
New mother gives birth to LewisGale Medical Center’s 1,000th baby
By: Tony Cowger
Tags: Baby, Birth, Hospital, Happiness, News

“LewisGale Medical Center hit a milestone this week-delivering its 1,000th baby of the year.

A baby boy just made his debut as LewisGale Medical Center’s 1,000th baby.

Jovan Hash smiled for the camera — unaware of exactly how special he is. His mother, Renee Hash, was delivering her first child Tuesday night, when she learned some exciting news.

‘They came and told me, they was like, you know, if you push this baby out, he’s going to be the 1,000th baby of 2020, and it just seemed like after that, everything happened so fast,’ Hash said.

This is the first time this hospital in Salem has reached that number since 1995.

‘I felt so bad that day, but then to find out that my baby was something extra special, because he was already special, so to find out he was extra special, and the fact that I used to work here, that made it even better,’ she said.”

View the whole story here: https://www.wdbj7.com/2020/12/10/new-mother-gives-birth-to-lewisgale-medical-centers-1000th-baby/
BABIES AT 18?
Tags: Random Thoughts, Random, Baby

Sorry for the clickbait. No I am not pregnant and no I don’t have any kids. In fact I am a single, lonely, virgin. But here’s what has been on my mind recently. Kids. I love kids. In fact when my friends tell me they don’t like kids, it is a major red flag for me. Yes kids are boogers, yes kids are brutally honest, yes kids are all over the place. But kids are great. They are cute, they are innocent, and they are so easily loveable. (Well, some of them.) So the reason why kids are on my mind is because, when should I have kids? I am eighteen years old so I still have time. But I don’t want my kids having a senior citizen for a mom. My mom had me when she was 21. I feel like that’s a good age because she was young enough to play and chase us. Her age didn’t hold her back. But I am soooooo not ready. Not ready right now, not going to be ready in 3 years. I want a stable job and relationship first. But knowing me, that might not come till I am 80.
The Birth of Baby Becky
By: Wendy Scott
Tags: Baby, Birth, Poetry, Humor, Family

Babies | Birth | Daughters | Family

The Birth of Baby Becky

The story of my daughter’s birth

Photo by Michal Bar Haim on Unsplash

My daughter is a gorgeous girl,

I grew her in my tummy.

My waters broke, I was in pain,

It really wasn’t funny.

“Get the f**king drugs,” I screamed.

“Let’s get this baby born.”

But little Becky wouldn’t budge,

“I like it here, it’s warm.”

To get the little monster out,

They sliced me with a knife,

And rummaged in my belly,

Hard, to drag out this new life.

“What’s her Apgar score,” I shrieked.

I had to know right then.

“It’s eight,” they said. “Oh no, it’s changed.

It’s gone right up to ten.”

They swaddled her and showed me,

My tiny baby girl.

A tuft of dark red hair, she had,

Quite straight, without a curl.

She stared at me intensely,

She knew I was her mummy.

I looked right back and studied her,

All small, and sweet, and gummy.

My little girl is grown up now,

She is my best creation.

I won’t forget the day she came,

And filled me with elation.
I’m a Baby Who Refuses to Nap, and I Am Drunk on Power
By: Amy Colleen
Tags: Parenting, Baby, Children, Humor, Culture

Lullabies? Rocking and cuddling? Soft voices and dim lights?

Rubbish. I will not be swayed by such pandering. I will maintain my reign of terror.

I am the relentless No-Nap Baby.

Fear me.

Kiss those sweet dreams of productivity and peace goodbye. Bid farewell to your clean house and your To Be Read pile and your cleared-out inbox. Accomplishing tasks while I sleep in a bassinet? Your unrealistic expectations are really quite amusing.

You see, I am not at all tired. I am bright of eye and bushy of tail. What care I for wake windows and sleep schedule predictions? Nothing you try will send me into dreamland. I guarantee it.

Instead, I will open my mouth and wail with the force of a thousand mighty wolves.

My mother’s attempts at inducing sleep revolve around singing stupid songs to me. Why she feels she must make up her own lyrics that involve my name is beyond my power of comprehension. She deludes herself into believing this is endearing. I know for a fact that it is useless, and will not give her false hope for future musical success by even the smallest fraction of a smile.

I wail harder. And louder.

My father takes the approach of burping me. His shoulder is solid and cozy, so naturally I must resist any concession to comfort by repeatedly slamming my tiny head into his collarbone. The pain I inflict on myself furthers his guilt trip. Good.

He pats me gently and urges me to release any trapped gas. I have no trapped gas, and if I did, I would not bestow it upon him. It is mine. I made it. I own it.

Honestly, it ought to be obvious that I have soiled myself. I would have assumed that the emanating fragrance would have enlightened them by now, but perhaps I presumed too much upon their intelligence.

Oh — but hark! They have smelt it. They know I have dealt it. I am carried to the changing table and the necessary rites performed. Allowing a brief interlude of calm, I smile and giggle temporarily. My parents fall over themselves in tickles, cooing, and the appropriate veneration.

It will not last, of course. My Pavlovian response to stimuli dictates that a clean, dry bottom must be followed by a feeding. I am compelled to resort to more histrionics. One would have hoped that at least one of my parents would intuit my need for sustenance at this time, but I suppose I have to do everything around here.

My mother nurses me. She pats me. She snuggles me. My father strokes my almost-bald head, and murmurs soothing nonsense.

I am warm, and dry, and at a loss for a new complaint.

Very well, I suppose I can succumb. But the strategic concession of this battle does not mean I have lost the war. I’m doing it because I want to, and not because they tell me to.

My eyelids droop. My frantic scrabbling of chubby hand and pudgy foot slows. I snore, softly and adorably.

My parents lean over my crib with beatific smiles. They hug each other, relieved.

I crack open one mischievous eye. Let them have their moment. Let them think they won.

I am saving my remaining shrieks for 2 AM.
The Child Who Gnaws A Lot
By: The Misfit Farmer
Tags: Gifts, Parenting, Christmas, Baby

For someone who can’t even chew, my six-month-old sure likes to gnaw. I think that’s why many baby toys and dog toys look identical; in fact, I bet if you put a baby toy in a lineup with five canine chew toys, the baby toy would get off scot-free. Toymakers are marketing to the same demographic, mainly mammals who drool a lot.

Both sets of grandparents have asked for guidance on what to get Thomas for Christmas. That’s a good question: What do you get for someone who is perfectly happy gnawing on a cell-phone charger cord? Thankfully, I caught Thomas trying to electrocute himself before he ruined my cord (life lesson learned: never leave a conduit for electrons near a baby). But the question still stands, what do you get a six-month-old?

I thought about getting him a copy of War and Peace. For one, that title more or less sums up the early experience of human baby-either peacefully sleeping or engaged in wailing warfare over food or the ruined state of a diaper. Second, that book has a lot of pages in it, and Thomas seems most content when stuffing crinkly paper in his mouth. Third, if he starts a Tolstoy book early, there’s a chance he may actually complete it and succeed where his father has failed. I once voiced a critique of Anna Karenina in casual conversation with an English professor (she was a real literary snob if you ask me). She rebuffed my criticism that the ending seemed a little cliche by snorting and pointing out that Anna, after eloping with Vronsky, did not live happily ever after and instead jumped in front of a train. How was I to know I had only read the first volume of Anna Karenina when it alone was over 500 pages?

Sometimes I just wish Thomas would stay the size he is now. His collicky days are over and he is so easy to please right now-just give him a chew toy and he’ll gnaw happily. I’ve also successfully taught him to roll over, which he can now perform for the amazement of onlookers. And, to add his repertoire of tricks, I’m currently teaching him to babble on command and to crawl to improve his fetching skills.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Thomas is currently living the pampered life of a modern house dog, which is pretty close to an ideal existence. There have been many times in my life when I’ve envied tail-wagging dogs who are easy to please and unburdened by the worries and stresses of human existence. Now, as a parent, I find myself worrying about what Thomas will worry about. I just want him to live happily ever after, and I can’t imagine him being much happier than he is now as a six-month-old content to gnaw on paper.
Grace
By: Craig Martineau
Tags: John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Ángel, Baby

To@ChrissyTiegen

Ms. Teigen,

I am so sorry you lost a child. I don’t have the words.

But I know that an angel sits on your shoulder to help you get thru the hard times.

You and John are such examples of grace, love and peace. Thank you.

Craig Martineau
Poem: Dangerous Dance of Mine
By: Writerpoet Jamie
Tags: Grief And Loss, Eternal Love, Anger, Baby

Poem: Dangerous Dance of Mine

Date: December 13, 2020 Many dance this fucked up journey of mine

I call it dark and dangerous hell

I’ve given up trying to smile and laugh, perfected pretending

I survive this dance as best I can

I don’t fit into a fucking box

On this slippery tightrope I’m constantly on, every single fucking day

I fight to exist when I rather not be here, every single fucking day

So many fucking battles

I’ll never succeed at any of them

I’ve come to accept that

I live in darkness daily

I don’t pretend, just a dance I’m used to

I wish losing my kid was getting easier, but instead I fight to breathe just another minute, another moment, another day

I don’t know where I am on the grief-loss dance scale, and don’t care anymore

I just exist

I fucking wish it was getting easier

Being honest, maybe it will, but only for short times

Having depression, the same dangerous dance I live in

None of this shit is easy and I’m so fucking tired

Grateful for finding poetry when I did, would be in worse shape if I hadn’t

Maybe one day I’ll be less angry, maybe not, don’t care anymore

Would be nice to not hurt so much, wishful thinking

One day I’ll meet you again

Until then I’ll keep at this dangerous dance of mine

© Jamie Martin 2020
Baby Stops Play
By: James Halliday
Tags: Newborn, Fatigue, Routine, Baby

Baby Stops Play

Photo by Melvin Thambi — Unsplash

We had a new baby at the end of October and, being in the UK, I get two weeks paternity leave. I was quite looking forward to the break from work, thinking I’d get time to catch up on some of the writing projects that I’ve got on the boil.

How naïve. This is our second baby, so I can’t claim I didn’t know what to expect. Clearly, I’d forgotten how demanding a baby is. We take it in turns to deal with her night-time feeds and nappy changes, but the disruption to my circadian rhythm has taken its toll on my cognitive abilities.

The Covid situation has been good for my physical health. I’d got into a routine where I’d go to bed at a reasonable time, 22:00 ish, get up at 05:30, take an hour’s walk then get on with the day. I’ve fitted writing and learning the guitar around a full-time job.

Baby has screwed all that up; my brain feels like mush, and I can’t think straight, much less write coherently. I’d forgotten how fatigue creeps up, how the mental processes slow down, how it makes me irritable and short-tempered.

So I’ve been out of the game for seven weeks. Things are beginning to settle down though, she’s sleeping better, and when I get back to something resembling a routine, then I’ll be back at it.

For now though, she’s hungry again.