Today is Forgiving Fridays!! Topic: Accepting All of Yourself – and a Poem

Posted on by Forgiving Connects

Happy #ForgivingFridays everyone. Yay!

This is a creative prompt for you to write a post on letting go and forgiving, or what happens when you do that.  You can do your post ANY DAY this week!

It can be anything that inspires YOU to forgive and choose love – even if you’re struggling.  e.g.: write a poem, share a quote or video, do an act of kindness, forgive yourself or someone else. 🙂 I look forward to see what you do!

**This is my contribution to Trent’s The Weekly Smile, Sue Vincent’s Thursday challenge and Frank’s Reflection. Frank, I only have a photo from my partner David for today, I hope that’s ok!**

First, I want to thank all of you for your well wishes for my travels.  I had an amazing trip to Israel and Italy.  Today’s post has to do with what I learned as I walked through the experience of Italy, and Florence.

A big part of my trip was sending peace and love to each place I visited. I traveled with a spiritual group whose focus is to bring loving to all they do (pretty cool).

As a benefit of doing this, I had the opportunity to share with a wonderful spiritual mentor of mine, John Morton.  I could ask a question that would assist me in letting go of judgment and opening to love more fully. I was surprised with what came out of my mouth – I mostly cried about what it feels like to judge myself.  He gave me many tips on how to work with this, and the biggest one that I experienced was a great acceptance of the part of me that reminded me of my mom.

My mom was mentally ill.  She went in and out of hospitals when I was growing up.  As I saw her not taking care of herself, it looked to me like she unraveled in front of my very eyes.  Since that time, I pushed down any part of me that reminded me of her, i.e., no way would I be sensitive, creative, emotional, etc…..  A part of my healing with Self-forgiveness has been to reclaim each of these aspects of my personality.

And being in Italy, doing this peace work, I opened up to a part of my past where I still wasn’t at peace.

I am so grateful for this.  I have so much to smile about, because what happened after I talked with John is a deep acceptance of myself — I had been afraid to express myself spontaneously, because what if I lost control and got sick like my mom?

I can’t really describe the level of acceptance I experience right now.  I can tell you that I am much more present to the place inside of me bigger than anything in this world. I am more available to listen to myself, to say what’s on my mind, and to reassure myself when I feel a little crazy.  In this is such deep peace.

Here’s a photo that my partner David took in Amalfi the morning after I shared, plus a poem I wrote right before arriving in Italy.  Amazing!

Love Within Debbie Light Body Amalfi Oct 19 2018

Photo credit: David Sand via msia.org

“Surrender Unto Love”

And in the
Shadow of
All things For-
Gotten is
The Love of
Forgiveness.

~D. Roth

I work with clients on the importance of acceptance as a first key step to forgiveness.  I got a big lesson in that during this trip. 🙂

After the group trip was done, my partner David and I went on to Florence for a few days. It was wonderful!  One of my favorite places we went to was the Church of Santo Spirito.  There, we saw a cross that Michelangelo made for the church leaders in gratitude for letting him use the cadavers to practice sculpting!  What moved me most (besides how cool and offbeat this was!) is how Michelangelo would do whatever he needed to do to express the truth of his love.

I am like that too.  I will do whatever it takes to express the truth of my love, including looking at, accepting, and embracing all of the parts of my consciousness I had previously denied. And to let go of anything that is not love.

Rumi talks about there being a field of love beyond “right-doing” and “wrong-doing” —- I am aware that in this field, it doesn’t matter who’s on first, because in this field, ALL the parts of me are home.  I have had a most beautiful glimpse on this trip of what it’s like to live from this awareness.

Here’s a photo of me at the Church of Santo Spirito after we saw Michelangelo’s cross:

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

However you can today, I invite you to accept yourself, to give yourself the freedom to listen to yourself – even the parts that you haven’t really wanted to.  This is a part of love, of forgiveness.

Happy #ForgivingFridays everyone! I love you.

Love,

Debbie

❤

I am SO SO grateful for all of you who contribute to Forgiving Fridays.  I learn so much from you!  Here are contributions from the time I was on vacation – they were magnificent:

Etta of Simply Etta D.  shared her wisdom each week while I was away:

(1) awesome tips not to take life too seriously (so funny!),

(2) great & practical guidance based on her life lessons,

(3) easy techniques to live our dreams and be who we truly are (with a powerful quote by Steve Jobs), and

(4) a sharing on how to set boundaries and trust our instincts to take care of ourselves.

DeB of Roaming Urban Gypsy contributed two posts – a great photo collage of her trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, plus her artwork illustrating the transformation that takes place when we’re creative – plus a song by Patti LaBelle to celebrate!

Frank of Poetry, Short Prose and Walking gave us two poems, one that illustrates the walk of life each of us takes, forgiving all, and entering into the Light that was present all along & a second on the dance of forgiveness that lifts despair and brings in healing joy. Great photos too!

Pragalbha of Infinite Living wrote two poems, one on the innocence within each one of us and another on living the essence of who she is.  Includes a beautiful reflection on going inside!

Kathy of KE Garland wrote 3 fantastic nuggets of wisdom from her grannie – including an excellent tip on how to do what works for you in your daily life. Full of grandmothery love and grit!

AmyRose of Petals Unfolding contributed a beautiful sharing on teaching herself how to be honest and intimate with herself and others.  So courageous. Her first post for Forgiving Fridays – welcome!

 

Here are the guidelines of #ForgivingFridays:  

  • Every day is Friday!  Do a post today or anytime this week.
  • Be creative with 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!

Forgiving Fridays banner facebook

David Sand photography

 

45 thoughts on “Today is Forgiving Fridays!! Topic: Accepting All of Yourself – and a Poem”

  4. Love the poem and the photo. I can tell from your writing how refreshing your trip was. I’m so happy for you and proud that you’ve made this journey of self-discovery. Love and Light to you Debbie 🌸❤️️🌸❤️️

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    1. Thank you so much, Etta! And thank you for your weekly contributions to #ForgivingFridays. Each one contains gems for treating ourselves and others with love. So great! Keep sharing your gifts! You express yourself really well.

      I had a beautiful trip, and I appreciate you seeing that. Love and Light to you, Etta! So glad that you’re here and forgiving the judgments. 💕 You’re awesome!
      Debbie

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  5. How very beautiful, Debbie. I am so happy for your trip to Italy, and Israel come to that. I love the deeper level of self-forgiving you seemed to be reaching into. Forgiving like love goes very deep in my book! In fact any book that I have written so far, and books yet to come… ! Bonne continuation! Blessings to you, Anne

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    1. You said it, Anne. Forgiving and love both go so deep. I’m grateful to keep opening to the experience inside AND to share this path with you! I had such a good trip = I sent you Light regularly. Much love, Debbie 💜

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    1. Thank you, Lorelle! Florence was so amazing = and easy to see in a short period of time. I’m grateful I went, and also grateful for your blog. You have wonderful travel tips and adventures. 😊😘 Blessings to you, Debbie

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  7. Oh, Debbie!! I am stunned by a parallel in our lives for I just recently “saw” my inner darkness and that I had not owned it as a part of me. Now this sounds a little nuts because for a long time I have known about my inner darkness but I did all I could not to acknowledge it and to push it away. It haunted me. In reaching out to that darkness and acknowledging it as a part of me and that it will always will be a part of me, something very deep and primal let go and was SOOOO relieved. I am learning to love that part of me and when it does surface, not to fear it but in fact see it as good and from there make choices how I will receive it. Awesome post!! And Bless YOU for your honesty!! 😘

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    1. Thank you, AmyRose! So glad you’re touched. I acknowledge you for your clear commitment to love and accept yourself and to be in healthy, intimate relationship. You are so inspiring and courageous, and I LOVE that you share on my blog. It makes a difference for people to hear others’ experience. And yours is so rich, Amy.

      Looking for the good is so powerful! How amazing that you’re seeing more parts of you that way. YES!!

      Sending you a big kiss for your week! Blessings to you,
      Debbie

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  8. Hi Debbie, I’m glad to hear that you had a wonderful trip in Florence and Italy. Self-discovery is an on-going journey for anyone who is willing to do it. It’s so good to hear your insight and I love your poem. The photo of David is great – that’s how we should feel every morning. Welcome back and thank you for your visit so I know that you’re back. 🙂

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    1. Miriam, you are so welcome! I’m really glad that you liked the poem and David’s photo. It was a glorious, peaceful morning. Grateful that you know I’m back Your comments are so encouraging and I appreciate you (if I haven’t told you that recently 🙂 ). I love you and blessings, Debbie

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  10. I’m happy for you for accepting ALL if you that reflects your mom. That’s self acceptance and authenticity. Thanks for posting…this is beautiful. I’m in the process of self acceptance and everyday I get closer. I’m blessed.😇😁❤️

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    1. Rhonda, thank you! I can completely see you and your husband loving Florence. ♥️ I had such a lovely time with David – it was the end of our trip and so good to be there with him. Michelangelo really was a highlight! Really opened my heart.

      I want to thank you for all your caring, Rhonda. It really comes across in your comments and means a lot to me. Hugs! Debbie

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    1. Thank you, Jordan! And, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by. That really means a lot! Glad that you liked the poem …. i find writing as a gateway to my heart. Have a good week and blessings – Debbie

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  16. I feel such delight to see your radiant self dear Debbie! So amazing what magic facing our self with kind acceptance and beyond judgment can do for us. I have found the more I look within, more layers I find to unravel and find my way through to get to that field of Rumi’s. You are such an inspiration, much Love to you.

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    1. Thank you so much, Pragalbha! And I love your contribution for #ForgivingFridays this week. It’s exquisite and so deeply moving to listen in the stillness. Have a wonderful weekend – much love and Light to you. ~Blessings, Debbie

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    1. That’s a really beautiful outlook, Frank. I watched a video by a spiritual mentor John-Roger that says God breathes us. I love the connection between that and what you said about forgiveness and breathing again. Blessings! Debbie

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    1. You said it, Kathy. I find this life is providing me the perfect opportunities to love myself more deeply ❤ and love others. It's truly a Master's path. I hope you are doing amazing! So much love to you, Kathy. You have such a great blog!! Debbie

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  23. What a beautiful picture and sounds like a beautiful trip, Debbie. I can see how you would want to push those traits (even the good ones) that remind you of your mom away. I think I probably do that too and don’t even realize it.

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    1. You are a sweetheart, Lacey. Yes, it’s so possible to do things and not even realize it — my spiritual mentor J-R says that awareness is such a key for practical spiritual living. Love you Lacey. 🙂 Have a great weekend – and happy almost #ForgivingFridays!
      Debbie

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