Forgiveness: Strength, Not Weakness ||LOH Contest #250

Warm greetings to the beautiful ladies of Hive community. Trust you're doing great. It's been a while since I participated in this contest here. It's also a privilege to participate in this week's prompt and I'm super excited to share my thoughts too. Welcome to this beautiful new day and welcome to my blog.  [Source](https://pixabay.com/photos/bible-mercy-love-forgiveness-2422571/) > If forgiveness is especially beneficial for those who are able to let go of past grudges, the invitation to reflect upon is: Do we always have to forgive? Why forgive someone who doesn't deserve forgiveness? Should we always forgive? Share your thoughts Every person created by God has the power of choice. That and time are the only things we all equally own as humans. We have the power to make choices in which its outcomes either make or mar us. Hence, the need to be quite intentional, cautious and conscious when making those choices. ***> Do we always have to forgive?*** I once found myself in a messy situation where I became the opposite version of who I truly am. I was overwhelmed by hurt and betrayal by someone I couldn't even imagine could do so. I allowed it to weigh me down that I got irritated by people around me, people who truly love and matter most to me.. I snapped at every conversation or question asked. Sadly true, these people have nothing to do with what was actually eating me up. I made them suffer( though unknowingly) for what they know nothing about because I chose to allow someone else's action to control mine. Someone who goes about “freely” without any iota of guilt or remorse for their action. At one point my little kid innocently asked me if she did anything wrong. That harmless voice echoed into my head down to my spine, I felt ashamed and then wondered how long she's been hurt by my emotions. There and then I made a decision to find a way to forgive myself and my offender. So, my answer to the question above is YES! As difficult as it may seem, we just have to find a way to. ***> Why forgive someone who doesn't deserve forgiveness?*** It is imperative we forgive even when the person doesn't deserve forgiveness especially for our mental health. Speaking from my personal experience I shared above, I was losing my peace, happiness and mental health. People around me who never contributed to my hurt nor knew anything about it were directly getting the heat from my pain too, they don't deserve that. While the one who did me wrong goes about cheerfully as if nothing happened, which ought not to be. The truth is, it is impossible to heal and move on if you don't forgive the one who did you wrong. And that is possible only when you first come to the realization of forgiving yourself of self blames and regrets. So, for the love of your lloved ones, your happiness, peace of mind and mental health you forgive the undeserved offender because they don't care about your well-being. You choose yourself first for you not because of them. ***> Should we always forgive?*** It's all about a matter of choice. I've heard some people say “I will never forgive him/her”. That's their personal decisions. Some people can comfortably sleep with grudges, not everyone is wired that way. They hold themselves down as much as they hold the one who offended them. In as much as it is difficult to let go considering the level of hurt, I think we should always forgive. After all, we all offend God our maker and our fellow humans both intentionally and/or unintentionally. So who are we not to forgive others who offended us? Though, Some may he cajoled into believing that forgiving always is a sign of weakness, but the fact is forgiveness is strength. It takes a mentally and emotionally strong person to let go of hurt and move on. But then, draw boundaries. ***In conclusion,*** forgiveness is not always easy as it may seem when talked about, but it is necessary to learn and master the act of forgiveness, especially for our well-being. Irrespective of how hurt we are and for the fact that we are humans and do offend others too. Thanks abundantly for stopping by, I truly and deeply appreciate it. See you in my next post. Have a wonderful day.🙏🙌🤗💚💪✨