Mary’s
Minute
“The weak can never forgive.
Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
~Mahatma Gandhi
When we forgive others we free ourselves from a tremendous
burden. I love the notion that forgiving
comes from a position of strength, rather than weakness. Maybe if we realize that holding a grudge
makes us weak, it will be easier to forgive.
I think that an element of forgiveness that we also forget is the need
to forgive ourselves, and Gandhi’s perspective might be most helpful when we
consider how to forgive ourselves for past mistakes, shortcomings, or omissions. The response from a position of strength is
to let go of our past mistakes. A true
position of strength is to learn from our mistakes, but to be able to move
on. This is true for our personal lives,
but it is also true in our professional lives working with children. We set high standards for ourselves, and when
we fall short it may not be easy to “forgive ourselves” or let go and move
forward. The same is true for our
feelings about our students. Our students
may let us down, but the sign of a strong teacher is one who can forgive and
maintain a positive relationship with students.
There are many examples we could give about the value of forgiveness –
forgiving ourselves, forgiving others in in our personal lives, or forgiving
co-workers and students in our professional lives. The concept works in all of these, and it is
helpful for me to reflect on how I can be strong by moving forward with a heart
full of forgiveness.
Have a great week!
Mary
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