Today’s Forgiving Fridays: Loving My Inner 12-Year Old

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! See guidelines below. ❤ You can post whatever inspires YOU to forgive and choose love.  Maybe it’s a photo, or a situation you’re struggling with, or a poem (like many of this week’s contributors!), or you can share about loving and accepting a younger part of you like I did.

***This post is my contribution for The Daily Post’s Glow and Frank’s Challenge, Bird. Frank thanks for the inspiration to soar in love and forgiveness!***

Today’s Forgiving Fridays is Loving My Inner 12 Year Old.

I started a year-long program last weekend, called “Consciousness, Health and Healing.” One of the reasons I’m doing it is to really love my body and heal any memories around food and feeling fat.

Right now, I’m present to a 12-year old girl who felt shy and stupid (not to mention pudgy). I was in 6th Grade, and I looked up to this group of popular kids. They never accepted me. At the same time, I had a mom at home who was mentally ill.  I thought if I could just be popular, I wouldn’t be like her.

I think I made a decision at that time to get skinny.  In the next year or two, I developed anorexia, and thus a lifetime (at least up until now) of challenges around food.

It is time for me to deeply, and for the last time, forgive myself.  Forgiveness to me is when I open my heart, decide to love, and speak compassion to myself.

I forgive myself for judging my body as my enemy to popularity. I forgive myself for judging my mother as bad because she had a diagnosis. I forgive myself for judging myself for making my relationship with food all important.  I let all of this go and I shower that 12-year old girl with caring.  I am saying to her right now, “Thank you for being you. I love and accept you as you are.  You are beautiful.”

Loving My Inner 12 Year Old Hafiz Oct 20 2017What I want to know is: What would it be like to experience freedom from attachments to food?  To my body?  What if I eat for enjoyment and as a nurturing resource for living fully?  What if I know, with all the cells of my beingness, that I am more than my body?

It is time to fly free, to soar in the arms of love.  Like a bird without a care in the world except to live.  (Right now, I’m taking little excursions.)

❤ ❤ ❤

I have a healing project that includes forgiveness.  It also includes taking specific actions to care for myself, such as eating first thing in the morning (rather than putting off food).  So, before I wrote this blog, I ate breakfast.  🙂

What area of your life do you want to get free?  Do you have action steps you can take now?  This Forgiving Fridays, I invite you to forgive, to take a step to love yourself, and open to the exquisite beauty of who you are.   ❤

****

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 creative combination of quotes and photos that highlight powerful qualities to take action and expand into who we truly are!

Ali of Flashlight Batteries wrote a beautiful poem on forgiveness and how to center herself in love by forgiving her failures – such a courageous sharing. ❤

DeBorah of Roaming Urban Gypsy shared two magnificent posts, artwork from a great Toronto artist plus a group of photos that illustrate what’s truly important in life.

Bella of ThoughtsnLifeBlog shared a gorgeous kindness meditation and unique tips to help us speak with loving to ourselves and others.

Lorelle of A Mindful Traveller wrote a note of gratitude to a fellow blogger who lifted her spirits right before she was traveling!  A great example of being grateful for the little things in life.

Kim of Anotetohuguette gave us a beautiful poem for Forgiving Fridays and inspired me to soothe myself with the act of saying “I forgive”.  A first time contributor!

Betcha Didn’t Know! contributed a post on the power of self-love to treat ourselves well.  It touched my heart – thank you.  A first time contributor!

Stella of Giggles & Tales  wrote an exquisite poem on the sacred honor of prayer and how it can soothe us when we are in need of help from the divine in life.

Xenia of Whippet Wisdom contributed a tanka (very cool poem) she wrote on being renewed with love every moment. Plus an amazing photo of her dogs to illustrate!

And in case you missed it:

Anne of Beauty By A Dutch Girl chose an exquisite quote on how peace starts inside each one of us with a decision to forgive – so vulnerable and creative.  Thank you so much. A first time contributor!

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I’ll end today with photos of me eating breakfast FIRST (yay) and of birds that soar in love.  I also wrote a poem on my body and radiant health.  See below.

Have an amazing week! I love us all so much.

Love, Debbie 

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?
  • Include #ForgivingFridays in your tags
  • Create a pingback link to this post so I can find you. 
  • Have fun – you are awesome!!  

 

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Here’s the poem on my body and radiant health ❤ :

HERE I LOVE MY BODY

In this, oh in this world

Where Am I?

Am I this

body, with messages I

do not understand, it

betrays me, no one likes

it.

Control. No, when +

when + when will I

stop to take

One, Deep,

Abiding Breath, +

Say, “I love this body

oh I love this body of

mine.”

Now. Here. Wait, is

The Love, is it? Could it be?

Yes.

Right in this thing,

That I now don in

beautiful, exquisite

clothes of the Beloved.

~Deborah

 

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56 thoughts on “Today’s Forgiving Fridays: Loving My Inner 12-Year Old”

    1. Hi Trisha! You are welcome to submit a post for #ForgivingFridays anytime! So whenever you get inspired, go for it & I’ll include it in the next blog. 🙂
      I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed everyone’s posts this week. Have a beautiful weekend, and happy Forgiving Fridays!
      Debbie

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  3. A lovely and inspiring post Debbie and thank you for bringing all these wonderful submissions together 💜 I love the image of the bird and your choice of Hafiz poem which fits in so well. I wish you a blessed weekend and much love to you from all of us here ☺💖 xxx

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    1. Oh thank you Xenia – the bird photo & Hafiz poem were inspired by Frank of Dutch Goes the Photo. I love his weekly photo challenge. I recall that’s how we met (pretty sure anyway <3). Have a beautiful weekend as well, and please tell Elvor and Pearl I said thanks for the blessings! Love and Light, Debbie

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  4. This is a beautiul post and lovely to forgive our younger self. When we are we really can quite harsh on ourselves. I think it important to forgive and accept the learning curve. And the courage to even too back in time. Great post

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  5. Debbie, how well. I know what you went through as a 12 year-old. It’s a time to wanting acceptance from peers. Their self conciencious about their own appearance. It’s understandable of what you had gone through. Your mom was no helpful to your development from that time to adulthood. I’m so happy that you have this self discovery and forgiveness of your inner child to free yourself so you could enjoy your present. A wonderful post, Debbie!!💖💜💗

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    1. Hi Miriam, thank you! I really get your caring and compassion 🙂 🙂 I forgave myself for judging myself – yes there is such freedom in that. One of the solid foundations I have is to know that forgiveness starts inside with me letting go of judgments I place. Sending you ever so much loving, Miriam. So glad you are here. ❤
      Love and blessings, Debbie

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      1. That’s very true, Debbie. Many people have been judging themselves for one thing or the other and that judging is an obstacle for peace and freedom. Your journey is so encouraging to others. Thank you for sharing. Love and hugs, Miriam💛😄

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    1. Oh, Kim you are amazing! You can do it! I so encourage you to open to your own caring. You are such a creative person and I see your commitment to forgive and to love. Bless you – and thanks again for an awesome submission – you added such value to Forgiving Fridays. ❤ Love, Debbie

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      2. Aww I’m so glad! I am so touched by your posts and clear willingness to forgive. I’d love to offer you a complimentary session – entirely as a gift to you. If you’d like to learn more, contact me at weloveyou@forgivingconnects.com. Could be valuable for you to explore and experience keys to forgive ❤ (And it's entirely fine if you're not interested!!)

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  11. Greetings from DeBorah Ann Palmer. Thanks for the wonderful blog post.
    We who are called to the Ministry of Helps must find ways to raise our frequencies and vibrations through writing, Art, Photography, eating healthy food, getting out into nature so that we are in a better place to give help, support and encouragement.
    Our Vibe Attracts Our Tribe.

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  12. Debbie I agree that 12 is a transitional age when girls on the cusp of puberty want to be liked and accepted. I got teased and bullied in school for being skinny. Kids used to call me stick lady, bony maroney and the best one….. The Black Twiggy after the famous British model.

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  13. Debbie, thank you for including me in today’s Forgiving Fridays. I have read the posts all of the other contributors and they are wonderful. The world needs forgiveness and love. Keep on sharing and have a great weekend.

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    1. Oh, Ali, you are so welcome! And thanks again for an amazing poem. It touched my heart. You have such a loving heart. 🙂 I’m having a great weekend, and I hope you are as well. ❤ Take good and gentle care of you. Debbie

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  16. Hi Deb, thank you for including my post on your blog. Much appreciated. An interesting post this week, reflecting on your 12 year old self. Definitely a time in most of our lives where acceptance and fitting in were key issues! Have a lovey weekend and best wishes to you. Xx

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    1. Thank you, Lorelle! You said it. Acceptance and fitting in were huge. 🙂 I’m in a program where healing of memories is a big key to freedom …. that’s part of where I learned how to access those earlier parts of me to love. It is pretty profound. Have a blessed weekend. Thanks again for your contribution, it is beautiful. Debbie

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  17. To respond to your invitation, I became more aware that so much is unknown to me and beyond my understanding. Who am I ever to judge! I bask in the perfection always present and blessing me. Beautiful blog as ever, Debbie!

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  20. What a beautiful post, Debbie. It’s wise to forgive that twelve year old girl, for that’s the path to healing. I find I’m on the other end…I eat too much food and try to stop. It’s definitely emotional sometimes and has nothing to do with being hungry. The positive is that I have tried to cut down and I walk a few times a week now. Hugs to you.💗

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  21. Thanks for reminding us how important those younger years were in leading us to who we are today, and also how important it is for us to recognize and forgive those younger selves so we can find our true selves now.

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  24. Such a courageous journey you’re on Debbie and a lovely post honouring your younger self. We never stop growing and learning do we? Looks like an amazing round up of contributors, you’re clearly inspiring many here, wonderful. Love and warmest wishes from me 🌹💜

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    1. Oh Lacey, thank you so much! I was just reading one of the handouts I give to clients (I do coaching too), and it’s a love letter to ourselves. Such a good idea, huh? ❤ Sending you blessings — you are wonderful. Hug much appreciated. Debbie

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    1. Aww Stella, thank you!!! I love love love this post. I’m in a Consciousness, Health and Healing class where we’re looking at how service automatically lifts us into a healing consciousness. You are such a blessing! I shared this post for my Forgiving Fridays this week. ❤ Perfect timing. Have a beautiful week Stella, with much blessings of peace. Debbie 🙂 🙂

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