AN ACT OF COURAGE AND GRACE










When I say “Sorry” to someone, and I really mean it, I expose to him my vulnerable side. If I do that - and, as I said, really meaning it - then, I have nothing left in me to defend myself!

 
“Peace is extremely important to both of us… So, I offer this unconditional apology to you… Please accept it… Do not keep any doubts; do not ask me any more questions… Do not remind me of any of my past mistakes - harsh words, or painful wounds… All that I can say is: I need your help to heal my wounds… and you need my help to heal your own… Let’s make peace as our conscious choice… and, let’s do it unconditionally.”…


This is what goes through my mind, every time I expose my vulnerability and say “Sorry”. I yearn that the other person will accept my olive branch… that, he will not ask me any more questions… will not probe me further, remind me of my past mistakes… will not revive the pain of those wounds… Yes, I yearn for his helping hand… and, and I yearn for him to do it unconditionally, with his own vulnerability.


So, when I say “Sorry”, and really mean it, if the other person doesn’t accept it… if he keeps probing and reminding me of my past mistakes… it is very difficult to experience peace. 


Peace – the rest in our hearts – is possible only when “Sorry” is accepted… When hug is felt, reciprocated… When I say “Sorry”, the other person judges me not…and, when he says “Sorry”, I judge him not... When, I measure him with the same yard-stick with which I do myself… When I really believe in the adage – “To err is human; to forgive is divine!” … When I realize, that, if this knot is not removed, now, there is no hope of a tomorrow… That, wounds need to be healed by each-other’s helping hand.



Saying “Sorry” doesn’t come easily to us. Because, we fear that the other person may continue probing us and reminding us of our past wounds… And, because we have already made ourselves defenseless, by dropping our guards and defenses, it is important that we are prepared to face the probe, if comes… suffer the wounds, if further inflicted – For, saying “Sorry” is an act of our conscious choice – the sign of our character strength. Therefore, to accept “Sorry” from the other person, too, is our conscious choice – the sign of our character strength. And, to be prepared to face the consequences of non-acceptance of our olive branch is what places us among those, which, the Beatitudes of Jesus Christ refer as:

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”


So, need we say “Sorry”?


Yes, we need to.


Need we accept “Sorry” from others?


Yes, we need to.










Loving is an act of not only ‘Courage’… 


it is an act of ‘Grace’, too!




GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.:Vivek D'Cunha






Comments

Leena Pinto said…
Very peaceful reading! thank you sir. Leena
October 25, 2012 at 12:33 PM
Karan Dhiman said…
Comforting! Thanx. Karan
October 25, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Manoj Jadav said…
Wow! Felt very relieved reading it. Keep writing, Gerry. Manoj
October 25, 2012 at 1:28 PM
Jagtap said…
This article made me really silent and restful. Thanks a lot, Gerry. Do write always.

Jagtap
October 25, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Anonymous said…
Inspiring! Yash
October 25, 2012 at 5:05 PM
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