forgiveness (m)

This morning while driving Harrison to school, he asks me what my plan is for the day.  I tell him some of the mundane tasks on my list and then tell him I've been meaning to check in on one of my friends. I haven't talked to her in three weeks and she's been on my mind.  I can't explain it, but I feel a sense of urgency tugging at me to call her.  It's 7:15 a.m. so I have to wait until a decent hour to call her.

I get home, break down a snow bank so the snow melts faster, throw a laundry in, do the dishes from breakfast (everyone else's), make the beds and sit down to call my friend.   Just then the phone rings.   It's her.

"I need some advice," she says.  Apparently, an ex-friend of hers who caused her (and a few other people) much pain just called, extending the proverbial olive branch. 

Is this a trick question, I ask?

"I know...should I just blow her off?" she asks.

We decide to approach the problem like two mature people.  You see, this particular friend of mine is very sick.  With her sickness, she's gained some deep perspective on life.  We try to re-wind the tape and play back the past three years when the friendship between those two women started to go awry.  My friend feels that she believes the woman was going through a difficult time in her life and that caused her to behave badly.  We discuss how much energy it takes to "hate" someone and how that "hate" feels toxic in one's body.  We discuss forgiveness and how powerful it can be.  We decide my friend should forgive this other woman and move on.

"You know what?  I feel better now.  I feel....healthier for having decided to do this," she says.

And I?  I felt lighter for having helped a friend do the right thing.

In fact, I almost felt weightless.