The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Forgiveness’

What do you do when you want to clear your mind, when you you want to let go of all that “stuff” that gets in the way? To be the best that I can be, and unleash my inner genius, I reflect on my life a lot to make adjustments when necessary. And, I also read and write. Last summer I wrote a series of poems, and I would like to share one with you. Let me know what  you think.

A Daughter’s Farewell by Avil Beckford

I can’t remember you ever hugging me.

I can’t remember you telling me you loved me.

I can’t remember you kissing me.

But I clearly remember you criticizing me,

Leaving me, even when I was scared.

You weren’t there, even when you were there.

You were emotionally distant.

Sometimes I wonder if you were a figment of my imagination.

You must have been real, because you were my father.

The battle within me rages because I was invisible to you.

I no longer want to be invisible.

I want to be a real person to you.

Just once I would like you to tell me how you feel about me.

Just once, I would like to hear you say “I love you”.

Just once, I would like to feel your arms around me.

But you can’t really do that, can you?

You died before I got to know you.

You died without asking for my forgiveness.

You died before I forgave you.

I try to make sense of it all,

All the wasted moments, all the wasted years,

Both of us waiting for the other to extend a hand, a forgiving hand.

Our stubbornness got in the way, and now you’re gone.

If I got one more chance to see you again, what would I do?

Would I hug you?

If I got one more chance to see you again, what would I say?

Would I tell you I love you?

If I got one more chance to see you again, could I forget past hurts?

Could I forgive you?

Since I do not have the chance to see you again, I say,

“Farewell my father, rest in peace knowing that I love you.

Farewell my father, your daughter has finally found peace.”

What are your thoughts about forgiveness? What kind of relationship do you or did you have with your father?

Related articles by Zemanta

• True Forgiveness (LearnThis.ca)
• Sins of the Father (bilerico.com)
• Forgiveness. Letting Go. (actionbites.blogspot.com)
• “Forgive and forget. That’s what they say. It’s good advice, but it’s not very practical. When…” (lauren8689.tumblr.com)

A Poison Tree by William Blake

 I was angry with my friend.

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe.

I told it not, my wrath did grow;

And I water’d it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears;

And I sunned it with smiles,

And with soft deceitful wiles;

And it grew both day and night

Till it bore an apple bright,

And my foe beheld it shine,

And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole

When the night had veil’d the pole.

In the morning glad I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

When you read the William Blake poem above, what emotions does it evoke in you?

I felt sadness when I read it. We so often wear our anger with righteous indignation. If you are completely honest with yourself, on a scale of one to 10, how do you score on letting go?

Letting go is something that I struggle with. Because of this, I work harder at it – negative emotion cause stress, which kills. So whenever I am feeling angry, anxious, worried or fearful, and feel that accompanying tightening in my chest, that’s my cue that I need to let go.

I quickly go into Alpha and slow down my brain waves. The deep breathing also calms me down. There are times when I will call a friend to talk through the situation, and I often see another completely different perspective.

What techniques do you use to let go, or even diffuse anger, fear and anxiety? If you don’t have one, talk to a friend to get another perspective or go into Alpha. If you have techniques at your fingertips, the next time you’re angry with someone you can easily resolve the situation instead of wishing them ill will.

You cannot truly be creative if you’re angry, anxious or fearful. And you cannot be your best self if you’re are distracted by anger, fear, worry or anxiety. This poem is a reminder to me, and it is a reminder to you, to practice tolerance, be kind, forgive and always try to find your center.

Click here to read other William Blake poems.

Other related posts

You Can Only Walk Down One Road At A Time