"Forgiveness is the final form of love." Reinhold Niebuhr

Have you had to forgive someone lately?  Has someone hurt you or caused you stress?  Is there ever a time when it is okay to not forgive someone?  

I have mentioned before that I have been through a lot in my 37 years.  I have had people, mostly men, hurt me.  Some were intentional, but mostly I believe,were unintentional.  For me, forgiving is easier now than it was in the past.  I suppose that is because the older I get the more precious I find life to be.  As I watch my children grow and mature, I see just how brief life is.  Still, forgiveness is a skill.  It is not something that just happens.  I believe it is a decision to either hold onto the feelings of hurt and fear or learn to put them in a place in your heart where those feelings do not "feel" anymore.  I have been able to do this.  Some people have been easier to forgive, others not so much.  In the end, forgiving those who have hurt me is an act of self love.  Holding on to those negative feelings is toxic and only serves to harm myself further.  Forgiveness is freeing.  Are you free?