40K for 40 days: Day 17 - Forgiving not Forgetting

Day 17 of the "40K for 40 Days" blog series during our Martin Luther King 40 days of Peace Campaign on the Charter's blog and through social media. 

Today Shane gives us beautiful words on forgiveness and letting go. Thank you, Shane!

Read Day 1 here to learn the story behind this series!

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With love,

- Felipe 

Day 17 Inner & Outer Peace, +40k for 40 Days

Forgiving not Forgetting

Forgiveness is not forgetfulness,

It's not consoling or condoning, but

More deciding who's controlling the direction one is going,

It's not being coiled in by revenge against those I'm told I must avenge.

It's not owing but rather owning, knowing, sowing seeds of hope and not despair,

It's repairing not comparing, caring not preparing to get even, it's grieving, then, leaving the afflictive feeling, moving on, for what is done is done and two wrong still make a wrong, right?

Forgiving not forgetting is not only giving but also getting, getting rid of all the pain, all the hurt and all the strain, letting go for you to grow, for you to flourish, for you to flow,

Put your two feet on the ground, a slow breath in, then look around, for if you are feeling grounded, it's it gives you strength for those around you, those you love, that surround you, a simple breath, it will astound you,

Forgiving not gotten is not been walked on or been trodden, it's in the past now, laid to rest so you can focus on the best, the rest, and you can rest and feel alive, releasing shit so you can thrive,

So forgiving is really seeing, seeing you present, here and now and your future at the brow, it's not dwelling on the past but enjoying what's yours at last, seeing you children, seeing you smile, not being bitter or futile, seeing their children in a while, your grandkids, with no regrets, could've done's or did's,

So whatever I decide as I continue on this ride, letting go, not gripping on, so I can move my mind along, fuel my body, fuel my soul, feel my purpose, feel control.

Forgiving is a gift for me, it has a certain ring and it's following in the tyre marks of a certain ML King.

-Shane O'Connor