Today’s Forgiving Fridays: Endless Compassion

Posted on by Forgiving Connects

Happy #ForgivingFridays everyone!   Yay!  This is an opportunity for YOU to share about forgiveness & post about it  ANY DAY this week!  You can post a poem, a quote, or a photo (or even take a walk like one of this week’s contributors), or write about compassion like I did.  (See guidelines below ❤ )  

***This post is my contribution for The Daily Post’s prompt, Partner and Frank’s Challenge, Three. Frank your challenge helped me see that love touches me, my mom, and me as a teen – thank you so much.  It’s also my contribution for Nikki’s Creative Prompt, Friendship.  I love you, Nikki. ❤

Today’s Forgiving Fridays is endless compassion.

As many of you know, my mom was murdered. It was 12 years ago now, and I thought I forgave what I needed to forgive.

This week, I was at a coaching retreat with Robert Holden, and his invitation was to open up to love.  I did.  What I heard inside of me was this:

“Compassion is a kiss from the Heart Beat of Love Unto the Head Bent Low.”

After this, I also heard a voice crying out from deep within me, “Why wasn’t I there?”  Why wasn’t I there to save my mom?

I didn’t really know where to go with that question.  Robert helped me see that my mom was trying to help me, that I – DEBBIE – was the head bent low, and I was being kissed by compassion.

Searching for the answer wasn’t going to heal this.  What healed it was surrender to that love kissing my forehead.  I cried, and I let go of 12 years (and really probably from childhood) of wishing I could save my mom.

I want to tell you some intelligent thing, or some spiritual message that answers this.

All I can truly do is say this, I allowed myself to be held by compassion and to see through the eyes of love.

To wrap up, what I have is a prayer for forgiveness.  It’s amazing grace, the love that blesses each one of us no matter what we did.  This love holds each of our hands. Even the person who killed my mom. Even me.

Here’s a photo with me and my mom when I was a teenager.  I had so much angst about her then.  Little did I know that I’d hold this photo knowing that love lifts all 3 of us:

 

 

****

I am grateful for all of you who contribute to Forgiving Fridays.  I learn so much from you!  Here are this week’s contributions:

Etta of  Simply Etta D. gave us a beautiful invitation to believe in ourselves and go for our dreams.

Judith of Nature Knows Best wrote a stunning piece on how her mom’s death helped her forgive what she thought was “wrong”.

Emily of Zombie Flamingos did a “forgiveness walk” to help her let go of judgments – and took amazing photos on the way.  (Movement can be a powerful form of forgiveness!)

DeBorah of Roaming Urban Gypsy took a collage of photos from hidden places around New York that are so truly beautiful.

Ali of Flashlight Batteries gifted us with a poem, “The Doorway of Forgiveness”, with a gorgeous ending.

Pragalbha of Infinite Living contributed a wonderful message of gratitude from her personal retreat.

And in case you missed it from last week 🙂 :

Stella of Giggles & Tales  shared a story on the palm tree to illustrate the powerful ways we can make a difference to people.

****

I wrote a poem that helped me open to compassion.  See below. I’d love for you to read it, I’m opening to more creativity for Forgiving Fridays!

I love you.

Love, Debbie

Here are the guidelines of #ForgivingFridays:  

  • Every day is Friday!  Do a post today or anytime this week.
  • Be creative – there’s LOTS of space for your expression! Write a poem, take a photo, post a quote, share your story …  what opens your heart?
  • Tag your post with #ForgivingFridays
  • Create a pingback link to this post so I can find you. 
  • Have fun – you are awesome!!  

 

Feeling Jumbled

Why? What was the 
reason that 
someone would lash out, is it
pain, oh Beloved, maybe there is 
a lesson of love. Of deep gratefulness
Of a breathing meditation, in the Spirit
for you to know
Fully
Deeply and Completely
That all is of love. How?
Say, I don’t know.
Say it again,
and say it one more time.
And allow the Spirit to delight you in
endless compassion.

-Deborah

 

Endless compassion me and Robert Holden
Me with Robert Holden! So much love.

Forgiving Fridays banner facebook

 

56 thoughts on “Today’s Forgiving Fridays: Endless Compassion”

  1. What a beautiful healing. And what a blessing to spend time with Robert. Such a dear person I have known since we were published by the same firm. Compassion was a theme for my meditation with the Cancer Support Group this week. A precious gift.

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    1. Oh, Nikki, I’m so glad it moved you. ❤ ❤ My mom would have loved that, and YOU.

      How neat that you get Robert's daily emails. Wow! He has a good complimentary talk on his website called "Following Your Joy". I listened to it before my retreat. You may find it valuable. ❤

      Blessings, Nikki! Debbie

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    1. Thank you so much Miriam. Your kindness comes through so clearly in your comments.

      I’ll be on another retreat this week! I’m being softened for even more forgiveness. It’s a gift.

      So glad you’re here, and that we know each other in this community. Bless you. Debbie xo

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    1. Thank you ever so much, Mary. This means a lot. Yes, I’ve done significant forgiveness with the help of compassion …. it comes in waves.

      That photo was from my sweet 16!
      Love to you, Mary, and to your family too,
      Debbie

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    1. Thank you so much, Frank. You really hit an important piece of this post – how love is meant as much for us as anyone else. I really appreciate you & your photo challenges. They expand me in such deep and amazing ways. I’ll be offline this week for a retreat, so I’ll be back with your challenge next week! Bless you Frank, and all the best to you and your wife. ❤ Debbie

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  15. Debbie, I have been off the grid this weekend spending time camping with my family and listening to the river.
    You keep stepping forward toward darkness and experiencing the light of love shining on you. It is so fantastic.
    This is my favorite part of your post, ” It’s amazing grace, the love that blesses each one of us no matter what we did. This love holds each of our hands. Even the person who killed my mom. Even me.” Yes, even you. Why is it so hard for us to believe that we are loved unconditionally? Bless you and keep sharing your journey.

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    1. Ali! I’m so so so glad that you went off the grid this weekend. That sounds wonderful, and I’d love to hear more about it. ❤

      Thank you for picking up the importance of that line on amazing grace and how love blesses us. That was probably the most significant part of this journey with my mom so far. You are so astute, and rereading that line really opened my heart further. And thank you again for your poem on the doorway to forgiveness. It was beautiful, and so are you. Love to you, Ali!
      Blessings, Debbie

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  16. Hello dear Debbie,
    Such a beautiful post and a lovely poem too. You really seem like things are being released and much healing forgiveness through love, is occurring for you.
    And how great to meet someone you look up to and get a photo! Awesome!
    Sending my best and until next time…
    Hug from me, Di 🌹🌹

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    1. Awww Di, thank you! How is it that I can read your comments and feel a big hug coming from across the ocean? ❤ It really is amazing how forgiveness gets deeper and deeper. I once thought I'd be "finished" and now I get that doing forgiveness is a big part of the blessing of self-love and awareness. Does that make sense? It's neat.

      Di, I'm sending you ever so much love. Please know that you are in my heart. Debbie xo

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      1. Hello my dear Debbie,
        Thank you for your words and kind thoughts here.
        I’ve just written a reply to someone on my latest post about that same thing…that just when we think we have it all sorted, something comes from left of field and can set us back and we remind ourselves all over again…but each time with still more insight and forgiveness than the last.
        I guess my 93 year old friend is right ‘you never stop learning, do you?’ when I asked her why she still reads the likes of Wayne Dyer and Ekhart Tolle…

        We are in this together lovely Debbie…
        Wishing you a peaceful and magical week
        Hugs from me 🌹♥️

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  17. I’m feeling so tender and full of love after reading your words, they show me how beautiful the gift of life really is, how lucky we are to learn at this very moment how to forgive ourselves as well as others. Thank you so much for these lovely Friday love letters!

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    1. Oh I love this! Thank you for the phrase “Friday love letters” – that’s exactly what they are.
      You are a sweetheart, I’m so glad that this post touched you. YOU touch my heart <3. Have a wonderful week ahead. Debbie

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  19. Hi Debbie. Your post really spoke to me today. (it usually does in some way). The bit where you asked yourself – why you weren’t there to save your Mum. When I was looking after my mother prior to her death, I felt that I was keeping her safe, but then she had to go into hospital and after she died, I remember feeing at a loss as I could no longer keep her safe, and I hated that.
    I love the idea that compassion is a kiss form the heart. I’m going to ponder that as I go to sleep tonight.
    BEAUTIFUL photo of you with Robert. The love shines through in your eyes.
    Thank you for your post today Debbie. Blessings for an inspiring week.
    Thanks too for including my post 🙂 xx

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    1. Oh Judith, thank you for sharing your experience with your mum. I empathize, and I’m sending you so much Love and Light. Bless your mum and her Soul’s journey! ❤ Feel free to let me know how it goes, with compassion as a kiss from the heart. 🙂 (Or other observations that you have). You are such a wise Soul, Judith, and I'm grateful to know you.

      You are so welcome for including your post! It's such an honor. Love and Light, Debbie 🙂 xo

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    1. Thank you so much!! You are making a difference too, I love your blog and the presence that you have.

      Feel free to join in Forgiving Fridays (just include a pingback to this post and contribute what inspires YOU to forgive … to be open to your heart …. to smile and relax ❤ ) Sending you Blessings, Debbie

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    1. Thank you so much, Rhonda. That really means a lot coming from you. ❤ God bless and keep you too. Funny, we used to say that in temple when I was growing up (I grew up Jewish). You are a sweetheart, so glad you're here. Debbie

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