Since this is the final week for me as featured author, I thought I’d bring up the topic of forgiveness. I was so entrenched in shame and self-blame, that forgiving myself for addiction, alcohol, and suicide attempts was unfathomable during the early years of my recovery. Finally, I took responsibility for not only my actions, but also for trying to forgive myself. (Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies.) Forgiveness is a heavy topic, yet people use the word often. What concepts do you have regarding forgiving yourself? Here is a portion of the book. ****“Yes, we are accountable for our actions,” Karen said. “And you are responsible for what you do now. Still, try to forgive yourself.”
“Forgive myself?”
“Yes. God forgives us before we forgive ourselves.”
“Oh, Karen, that sounds so cliché.”
“The phrase is repeated because it’s true,” she responded.
“How do I forgive myself?”
“Forgive yourself by not condemning who you were and by celebrating who you are becoming.”
“I’m a waitress. I’m getting my real estate license. I’m taking more college courses. What else am I becoming?”
“A survivor. Your sense of self was violated along with your body. Now you’re gaining mastery over trauma and taking control. When you lose your identity as a victim, you gain an identity as a survivor.”
I thought about what it meant to be a survivor. I had overcome adversity and endured dysfunction. I lived through ordeals, faced demons and death, and reconstructed myself. I was a survivor.**** Before the end of the week I’ll try to address forgiving others. Any thoughts? Any other direction you’d like to go in this last week?