Today’s Forgiving Fridays: It’s OK to be Me :)

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 inspiring quote, or a poem, or you can share about letting go & LAUGHING like I did.

***This post is my contribution for The Daily Post’s Cheeky and Frank’s Challenge, Message. Frank I am learning so much about my message through forgiveness & shouting it from the rooftops! Thank you!***

Today’s Forgiving Fridays is it’s ok to be ME.

Today, I’m going to volunteer at a homeless project for teens.  I found them yesterday, and it turns out there’s an orientation today!

As I walked away from the building, I connected with my own “inner teenager”, and it was like I was 14 again.  I felt it right in my solar plexus (near the stomach), and mostly I had an ache to come home.

For whatever reason, I went through my early years with a self-hatred, or I may be overdramatizing – still it felt like that!  I remember being in my house and feeling like I did not belong, and that no one loved me.  My breasts got bigger, which meant I wasn’t a kid anymore, and I just wanted to shout, “STOP I’M NOT READY.”

That was when I developed anorexia. I just didn’t know how to love myself.

I don’t have pictures of me during that time.  I did find a photo of me just prior to going into puberty and then again with my mom during a sweet sixteen.  The person I am now is in part due to these two young Debbie’s – and all the Debbies in between.

Fast forward to me sitting here writing this blog.  Somewhere along my journey, I found forgiveness and a spiritual path to open my heart.  It is helping me to forgive myself for the judgments that I placed against myself during that time.  Here’s a key one:

I forgive myself for judging myself for not loving myself.

During that time, I gave myself the message that it wasn’t ok to be me.  And I needed someone else’s love to be ok so I better change.

Through forgiveness, I am learning that I am beautiful.  I am learning that I am home inside of me.  I am learning to know what it’s like to love myself as a direct experience.

Do you know what?  I’m pretty sassy.  I’m strong.  I’m compassionate.  And I have a clear message to share: It is so ok to forgive, to love, and to shout it from the rooftops! Here’s a video I just did as my way of doing that this morning:

One more thing: I hold a dream where we touch to each other as one love.  It starts by me loving me, and reaching out my hands to share.  ❤ ❤ ❤

****

I am SO SO 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. shared the value of journaling as a way to love ourselves, listen to ourselves, and quiet our minds – and to take a break in the silence. Thank you, Etta! ❤

DeBorah of Roaming Urban Gypsy shared two beautiful photo collages of nighttime in NY during the holidays – on Believing and in 34th Street – that illustrate the power of loving and standing tall in ourselves.

Xenia of Whippet Wisdom shared an inspiring service project that matches inmates with retired greyhounds and wrote an exquisite haibun on second chances. So positive, including photos of her dogs, Elvor and Pearl J .

Pragalbha of Infinite Living gave us a profound poem on our journey of life and the surrender into wonderment, relaxation, and peace.   A blessing of love.

Revived Writer shared a beautiful poem on forgiveness that demonstrates such willingness and commitment – including forgiving herself.  A first time contributor!

Miriam of Out an’ About gave us a rich post on the peace and acceptance of simply looking inside for a few minutes each day.  So many keys to forgive here!

Nikki of A Kinder Way contributed an invitation for us to own our story and experience the freedom, healing and liberation of doing this!

From last week 🙂 :

Patty of Books, Books and More Books! blogged an amazing story of a little girl’s inspiration to help families in Houston and the help she received.  Sharing it here because I see kindness and touching to one another as a foundation to forgive.

****

Below is a poem I did when I started doing more with forgiveness….it really touches me today b/c I’m doing my best to love myself at different ages.  I invite you to join me!  🙂

I love you.

Have an amazing week!

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

 

 

Here’s a poem I did when I started doing more with forgiveness ❤ :

And so it begins…

I breathe,

Blessed. Still. Peace

is

  eluding me still.

Still. And still.

Sigh.

Well. There is a well of still

Ness.

Focus. On.

That.  Thank you God.

Still. Stilted. It’s ok.

It’s all the same.

Forgive.  In the forgiving

is peace.

-D. Roth

 

56 thoughts on “Today’s Forgiving Fridays: It’s OK to be Me :)”

  1. Pingback: Macy’s Herald Square Holiday Windows – Roaming Urban Gypsy

  2. This season I’m Getting in touch with my Whimsical Childlike Filled with Wonder side. December 2006 I remember taking my young cousin who was a girl of 11 or 12 at the time to see The Nutcracker. We both enjoyed the theater play experience. Now she is a grown woman and I hope she has fond memories of those times. When Stephen is with I take him to see the Holiday Store Windows. Last month after Thanksgiving we went to see the Holiday Windows at Lord & Taylor. Earlier today at 1:00 am after getting off work I took time to take pictures of the Holiday Windows at Macy’s Herald Square. Except for a few tourists and some other Night workers I had the windows all to myself. I just indulged in the Holiday fantasy.

    https://roamingurbangypsy.com/2017/12/08/macys-herald-square-holiday-windows/

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    1. Lacey, thank you so much. It is really meaningful for me to take care of myself, and to love all the parts of me. And to simply be me – sassy, peaceful, loving, and all the other qualities I’m learning 🙂 I love you Lacey and am so glad you’re here. Bless you. Debbie

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    1. Elsie, I so appreciate your thoughts! I really experience your compassion and acceptance 🙂 🙂 And your post is magnificent. I’m honored to share it for #ForgivingFridays. So important to accept and love all the different parts of ourselves. And to be present with what’s here and now. Many blessings, and thank you! Debbie

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  6. It is so lovely that you are volunteering with homeless teenagers and healing your inner teenager too. Thank you for sharing your story, the other lovely contributions and the beautiful quote by Hafiz 💜 We wish you a wonderful weekend And a blessed new week ☺💖 xxx

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    1. Oh Xenia thank you so much. I am really honored to have found this organization. I have a feeling I’ll be posting about it again. 🙂

      I had a wonderful weekend – in a class called Consciousness, Health, and Healing. It was a way to heal a lot from old memories and open to greater knowing of love. Hope you three had an amazing weekend and a great week. Love and Light to you Xenia!
      Debbie

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  8. Pingback: Phenomenal Friday-Why I Stopped Chasing Happiness & Started Living « Simply Etta D.

  9. I forgive myself for judging myself for not loving myself. – This statement alone has such depth and richness that it allows to unfold! Yes what we are today are made of all our versions at different ages. Embracing the Becoming of what is now is such a tremendous journey. Your poetry, Hafiz and your beautiful energy makes a perfect post!

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    1. Oh Pragalbha thank you! You seem to capture the essence of my posts, I appreciate that and you so much. You have a great consciousness and loving heart. And thank you for contributing for Forgiving Fridays – yay!!! I’m honored to share your experience. Love to you and your son, Debbie ❤

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  11. Pingback: The Half Moon | Infinite Living

  17. I’m so happy to know that you volunteered to help the teenagers. What an experience to remind you of yourself in those years. You probably didn’t feel like having pictures taken in those years. I’m so glad you found yourself today… Have a wonderful weekend, Debbie!

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      1. I can hug you anytime. We give bear hugs in our family. grown-ups, kids hug everyone in any family gathering.,, Hug everyone when getting in the house, go another round, hug everyone when say goodbye.
        Big hugs to you. Miriam

        Liked by 1 person

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  26. Hi Debbie– don’t know if you’ll read this soon (are you off on your retreat??) But I think a lot of us would not want to go back to our 14 year old selves. I know you had a difficult journey and have been through so much. God bless you for how far you’ve come. And– love the photo of you by the Christmas tree!! Hope you have a blessed Christmas ahead. Merry Christmas Debbie!! xox

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  27. Pingback: Phenomenal Friday-Why Counting Your Blessings Is More Rewarding. « Simply Etta D.
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