Forgiveness

Just as I had wrong others, others had wronged me. Though in many circumstances contact had been broken with these people for many years, whenever I thought of them the hurt they caused would rise in my heart.
Again, this didn’t sit right in my gut. All these negative emotions about things that happened long ago. Who were they negatively affecting? Me of course. Was I processing them in a good and healthy manner? Obviously not.
I chose to look past the exterior and any wrong they may have done and instead looked to see the good in them.
Just as I had made mistakes, so too have they. Neither of us can go back in time to undo it.
I learned quickly that the healthiest thing to do is forgive them. And I did, from the bottom of my heart. I know this to be true forgiveness because whenever I hear they are having a tough time in their life, my heart goes out to them and I really hope they will be okay and everything will work out for them in the end.

Having resolved my own remorse and regret and having forgiven those who wronged me I noticed a marked increase in my empathy for others, those who I knew, as well as strangers.