Days 34 & 35: I am thankful for apologies and for forgiveness.

# 34: I am thankful for apologies.

"I'm sorry." These are sometimes the hardest words to say when you really mean them and need to say them.  Apologizing to someone, when genuine, means that you are taking responsibility for hurting someone.  It's so hard admitting to ourselves that we have hurt another person, let alone admitting it to that person.  Even if unintended, we are capable of hurting each other.

Apologies are meaningful. Taking responsibility for our actions and words are meaningful.  It's difficult, it's painful, it's humbling and it's possibly even humiliating, but in order to right our wrongs, it's an important step.

Apologizing doesn't fix everything. You can genuinely apologize to someone repeatedly but it might make any difference in the long run.  We only have control over ourselves, our words, our actions and reactions. We can not control how another person is going to react or if they are even willing to acknowledge our apology let along accept it

I am thankful for the apologies I have received even if I am reluctant to accept them and I am thankful that I have had the ability to apologize when I have needed to the most.

# 35: I am thankful for forgiveness.

I am also thankful for being able to forgive others and to be forgiven.  One can only ask for forgiveness, there's no guarantee that you will actually receive it. As hard as it can be to be forgiven, it's also exceedingly difficult to forgive someone who has hurt us.

Forgiving someone brings forth a feeling of closure.  To forgive someone who has hurt us, while quite difficult, is peaceful and relieving.  When we finally have forgiven someone it helps not only the person being forgiven, but also ourselves.

The act of forgiving is so difficult, but it is also a step to healing past wounds.  I am so very thankful for the ability to forgive and to have been forgiven.