Ultimately forgiveness is
a gift we give to ourselves. We can benefit from forgiving even if the person
we forgive isn’t aware of our feelings or is even no longer alive. We can find
inspiration in the words of Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned by the South
African government for twenty-seven years yet emerged without bitterness for
his captors. He stated, “As I walked out the door toward my freedom I knew that
if I did not leave all the anger, hatred and bitterness behind, I would still
be in prison.”
Deepak Chopra
