Ken,
What a wonderful post.
Sometimes, in trying to preserve one's "self", we have such a mixture of emotions for those who would attempt to destroy that part of us, physical and emotional. Sometimes people do hate us, but we can't help how they think or feel. We do have to understand how their actions or thoughts affect us, and what we can do about it.
The horrible war crimes are beyond belief. The distribution of power and control, man over man. The Jews are known for suffering more than most during Hitler's reign. Many witnesses have been persecuted and killed for their faith as well. Other individuals have faced death for simply having their own opinion about something and standing up for it.
But, as long as we carry hate around on our shoulder, we are keeping the journey of our soul in "clamps". We are only hurting ourselves. Hate solves nothing. It grinds away at our insides until we don't recognize ourselves anymore. It demands too much. It remembers too much. It blames too much.
We are each responsible for our own decisions and our lives. If we allow someone else the power to control us through hate, then we are not growing. That hate will eat us alive.
Letting go is the most exhilerating feeling. I have let go of several major "things" in my life that were holding me back. The first was letting go of the WTBTS, the second was letting go of a bad marriage, the third was letting go of my own feelings of insufficiency and inadequacy. In taking care of the third item, I was able to "see" things as never before. I had been allowing individuals to hurt me over and over again, by re-living situations. I learned that before anyone else can change, I have to change myself. Change begets change.
The person I was hardest on, was myself. I hated myself for being so stupid in my young life. I don't hate myself anymore. I have learned to love self. Now I am filled with joy and happiness that I never knew before. Yes, love will last a lifetime.
Human beings are created with the ability for forgive monumental grievances. We usually try to find the good in all things. Yet, there is badness away from the good, and consequences for evil acts. In forgiving someone, we are not discounting their responsibility for their actions. We are releasing ourselves from the emotional hold they have on us. We are free to move on.
Love and Light,
Sentinel/Karen
