Today’s Forgiving Fridays: So Much Gratitude & Forgiveness :)

Posted on by Forgiving Connects

Happy New Year & 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 story, a poem, or a photo or inspiring quote, or you can share qualities to help you forgive like I did.

Today’s Forgiving Fridays is Gratitude & Forgiveness.

As you may know, I have a 3-step tool to help me do forgiveness: (1) Self-forgiveness; (2) Letting Go; and (3) Gratitude.

This morning, I’m aware of how gratitude opens my heart to forgive even more. That sometimes the last step is really the very first one.

I’m grateful for you, my blogging community, for your amazing comments on my blog.

I’m grateful for sitting in this amazing apartment with my new keyboard by my side.  (Yippee – lessons starting in February!)

I’m grateful for myself for how much I’ve grown in loving myself.

That last one, I’d like to pause on.  To take a moment and be still.  To think, years ago I couldn’t bear to sit with my emotions, my thoughts, and my body  (and used food and alcohol to prove it).

Now, with Self-forgiveness and meditation, I am experiencing SUCH a deep love for myself.  Whether I’m taking a moment of stillness, or “put together” for a day on the town, or being cute, or just plain grouchy.  These are all faces of love.

Here’s the key from what I know so far on forgiveness.  I forgive myself not so that I can “become better”.  I forgive myself so that I can remember who I am.  That I am joy, gratitude, peace, compassion.  Each of us is the presence of love. No matter what we’ve said, thought, or done.

Gratitude and Forgiveness Rumi quoteHere’s the other thing that I know.  I thought I needed to love and accept myself first so that I can love and accept others. Now, this may ultimately be true; however, there is not one “tied up in a neat bow” way to forgive and open our hearts.  It opens when it opens, and it’s a ride of sweet surrender.

So this day, I’m open to the wisdom of my spiritual heart.  I’m open to accepting and loving myself and others.  I’m open to speaking kindness, and to take pauses to be still and listen inside – both to what I’m experiencing and to what my heart is calling me to do.  I’m open to loving beyond my wildest imagination.

I’m open to not knowing “how” to forgive.

And I forgive.  🙂

****

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. gave us a wonderful post (and very sweet photo) with an invitation to open to the gifts of our “soul mates”, the people who recognize and honor the beauty inside of us. Bless you, Etta! ❤

DeBorah of Roaming Urban Gypsy shared two photo collages – one with her smiling and radiant as she nurtures herself and a second to highlight her creativity with her photography (and she’s doing an art show). Good for you, DeB!!

Ali of Flashlight Batteries wrote a gorgeous poem on releasing shame and accepting and loving ourselves exactly as we are. An exquisite way to heal and let go!

Revived Writer gave us a wonderful poem that she wrote to her piano, asking for forgiveness! She is opening to expressing her song, hand in hand with forgiveness.  A New Year’s blessing. 🙂

Xenia of Whippet Wisdom shared a tanka and heartwarming video that illustrate how wonderful life is … and includes a joyful set of photos of her dogs, Elvor and Pearl.  A must read.

Frank of Poetry, Short Prose and Walking  contributed a simple and profound one-liner on how we are forgiven and so loved.  How incredibly soothing.

Elsie of Ramblings of a Writer shared a unique, creative hakai on how pain can be the key to our freedom, like the Rumi quote, “The moment you accept the troubles you’ve been given, the door will open.”  Thank you, Elsie!

Pragalbha of Infinite Living gave us exquisite keys on how to be in a growing relationship and make supportive choices for yourself…. and hold them in a space of loving. Awesome!

Stella of Giggles & Tales contributed a gorgeous invitation to radiate happiness today to all we come across.  What a sacred way to live. Thank you, Stella!

And a post I found inspiring given my own journey with my mom: ❤

Miriam of Out an’ About wrote a beautiful blog on how, after her mom’s passing, Miriam used her mum’s cooking pans to create nurturing food for her family – what a demonstration of her loving heart!

****

I’d like to end with a note on what I did just prior to this experience of gratitude. What I’m doing may be helping me to open to such thankfulness and loving now.  It has to do with how I am coming to peace with the person who murdered my mom.

I did a video on it.  See below.

I love you.

Love,

Debbie

***This post is my contribution for The Daily Post’s Silence and Frank’s Challenge, Delicious. Frank I am coming into a great experience of the deliciousness of who I am, and the power of simply having an intention to love!***

 

Here’s the video on my experience with how to forgive the man who killed my mom:

Here are the guidelines of #ForgivingFridays:  

Forgiving Fridays banner facebook

  • 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!!  

 

 

 

49 thoughts on “Today’s Forgiving Fridays: So Much Gratitude & Forgiveness :)”

    1. Andrea, thanks so much for saying that. I write what’s heartfelt for me and have an intention to serve and express joy. You inspire me too, as I think you know! Congrats again for getting chosen for a TEDX talk, that is so great. Blessings, Debbie

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  3. What a gift each of your post is to me 🙂 My eyes become moist and my heart fills with peace with the feeling of forgiveness, acceptance and love for myself that comes through reading your words 🙂 I am not even aware what I am forgiving myself for, yet the feeling helps. Lots of love to you dear friend.

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    1. Pragalbha, this is so good to hear. Wonderful to attune to the forgiveness and loving inside of you when you read this post! Yay. ❤

      Thanks again for your contributions to #ForgivingFridays. You add such caring, compassion and creativity. I'm honored to know you and include your posts!

      As I'm sitting here writing this, I am focusing on the goodness of sharing together. 🙂 🙂 Love that.
      Blessings, Debbie

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      1. Yes, I agree, goodness of sharing together. I am filled with gratitude that I get to live in a world I would dream of – sharing deliciously all the goodness of the miracles of life. I have always been in love with the idea itself! 🙂 🙂 Thank you and your love for being here.

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    1. Ha ha! Thank you. 🙂 I had so much fun taking these photos. Almost called this post “The Many Faces of Love.” Hope you are having a fantastic Sunday. So glad you’re here. Give your dog a pet for me. Blessings, Debbie

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  5. Thanks for Sharing and Thanks for Featuring my Blogs. Like you I’m exploring, deepening and expanding my Creative side. Through art, photography and writing it takes my mind off the negative and puts the focus on the positive. This is the opportunity to celebrate being a Literary and Visual Artist.

    Here are two tales which are in the Realm of Magical Mystical Realism.

    I call them Splinter Stories from the Hardware Store.

    https://dancingpalmtrees.com/2018/01/17/secrets-and-murders-in-the-blue-room/

    https://dancingpalmtrees.com/2018/01/15/incendiary-guest-house/

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    1. DeB, thank you for sharing these blogs! So acknowledge you for your creativity and how that helps you to focus on the positive. Yes, isn’t it amazing how creativity can help us do that? Sending you much love, thanks again for all your contributions to my blog. You add such a Lightness, nurturing energy, and joy. Blessings in all ways, DeB. Happy Sunday. 🙂 Debbie

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  6. I too am grateful for learning how to feel my emotions instead of buffering them with food. I so appreciate the authentic sharing of your journey. You share the struggles along your way to success. I am inspired by your words and I look forward to reading the Forgiving Fridays contributors. Have a great weekend. Keep shining your light.

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    1. Ali, you are so welcome. It helps me to keep it real inside of myself…. one of my foundations for forgiveness is accepting myself exactly as I am. My spiritual mentor says how everything is a manifestation of love. I am so loving that and awakening to it through forgiveness! Thank you so much for your #ForgivingFridays contributions. Your poetry is exquisite and so honest and full of life. Blessings to you, Ali! Sending you much Light and joy every step of the way, Debbie

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    1. So glad you like it, Anne! Gratitude is such a blessing. I remember a quote from J-R, something like “If you want to know more of the Soul, look through the eyes and hear through the ears of gratitude.”

      I also love how forgiveness leads us where it wants to go. Includes freedom and flexibility. And FUN!

      Lots of blessings to you, Anne. Loving you too. Debbie

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  10. Great video, Debbie. I like the message of letting things happen in their own time. It’s the only way. We can’t force these things, can we? 😉 And as far as having all the answers or not, I had a friend who has since passed who always used to say, “I know that I don’t know.” I always loved that! 🙂

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    1. Oh Sheila, I love your comment, thank you!! “I know that I don’t know”. So great. ❤ To me, it's such a relief to let go. And when I do, the next steps always appear so gracefully!

      Hope you are having a beautiful weekend. Glad you're here. Blessings, Debbie

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  11. Thank you for sharing your story in your video Debbie and it is completely natural to feel the way you did about what Jamie did to your mum and what he did to you by taking your mum away. Accepting and honouring your true feelings with love and honesty can be very healing too 💜 xxx

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    1. Thank you SO much, Xenia. It really helps to have an affirmation of my process especially with Jamie. I must have been ready to handle it inwardly, so glad about that. My spiritual teacher J-R says that everything is a manifestation of love. Looking inside is a key part of finding that, for me anyway 🙂

      Thanks as well again for your awesome contributions for #ForgivingFridays. They brighten my week. Love and Light to you and Elvor and Pearl.
      Debbie

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    1. Thank you so much, Emily! You know, when I first started meditating, I did it for 5 minutes once per week b/c my mind wouldn’t leave me alone. Now I can do it every day, and feel depleted when I don’t. I’m so glad you’re here. Hope you have a magnificent week ahead, Emily. 🙂 Light to you and Kev and your kitties — Debbie

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  14. Such a beautiful post Debbie. We don’t always need to know the ‘hows’ on this forgiving journey of ours. We just need to be open to allowing it. Keep on this journey of discovery my friend, you’re very inspiring. Thank you also for your kind words on my post. Sending you hugs and my warmest wishes 💖 xo

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    1. God that’s so true! I have a ministerial blessing (did you know I’m a minister? Very full of love), and there’s a line in it that says essentially ‘take your steps with confidence, knowing that love is with you every step of the way.’

      Miriam thanks again for your comments, for our connection, for your loving, and for your awesome blog. You enlighten and bless me when I read it & sharing your posts is an honor and a privilege! Love, Debbie ps – I almost used one of your Snoopy cartoons on gratitude in this blog post 🙂 🙂 🙂

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      1. Aww Debbie, your words are so kind and beautiful. Thank you. And no, I didn’t know you’re a minister but thinking about it doesn’t really surprise me. You have a light and peace that resonates and a true affinity to reach others with your words of forgiveness and courage. You’re a gift to all who know you, and that includes me. Love and hugs. 🙂 P.S feel free to use any of my snoopy pics I post, I do love him. xo

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  15. I agree that gratitude helps to usher in forgiveness. Now that I think about it, finding the good things about how my life is today helps with forgiveness about events and choices in the past. Thanks for this new perspective.

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    1. Hey that’s awesome! So glad that this post helped to offer a new perspective to you on forgiveness. 🙂
      Thanks for your fantastic contribution, I truly loved your poem to your piano. Feel free to be in touch on how things are going for you – anytime. Many blessings, Debbie ps – my lessons are starting in a few weeks. Very excited.

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    1. Got it Miriam! I am so touched that you shared this post for #ForgivingFridays. It reminds me of how powerful it is to see our lives — all of it — through the eyes of loving. You are amazing. I’ll share this tomorrow in my post. Bless you! Much love, Debbie ❤

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