Welcome February 3, 2003 Issue

Elementary forgiveness

Tad Weber

WHEN I WAS IN THE FIRST GRADE, I was in my first and only fight. I was provoked by another boy in class, and I reacted with quite a bit of anger. But after it was all over, I knew something about what I had done wasn't right, even though I felt I had just met my first arch nemesis.

Later in the day, at soccer practice, I had to run a drill down the field with this same boy. This time I had the feeling that if I could forgive what he had done to provoke me, I would feel much better. With some fear that what I was about to do was stupid, I told him that I would rather be friends than enemies. Instantly my fear melted. My enemy agreed with my hopes. And we became allies.

That day turned out to be one that taught me a very crucial life lesson. I had changed what appeared to be an early, disastrous course in revenge by being willing to lay down anger and scared thoughts. By simply asking my "enemy" if we could change our ugly situation, all the ugliness dissolved. I learned from that experience that fighting and angry reactions wouldn't help, while a response of forgiveness and kindness could effortlessly change my world of hostility into one of peace.

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