Forgiveness and Hope

This morning whilst perusing the internet, I stumbled upon a quote regarding forgiveness.  The origin of the saying is a bit uncertain -- some sources attribute it to Oprah Winfrey herself, and others indicate it began with a guest on Oprah's show nearly a quarter of a century ago.  Regardless, it is understandable that the germ of such a concept could survive over twenty years and still ring true, and stronger than ever, not only for Oprah but for others as well.  Behold:  

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.

Imagine that. 

Usually I think of "giving up hope" as a negative event.  Hope is a magnificent creature:  it give us the courage to try, the fortitude to try again, the impetus to keep moving even when we doubt and fear and worry.  We cannot give up hope, I reflexively counter. 

Upon reflection, though, I see that forgiveness is not giving up all hope.  Rather, it is giving up the hope -- the unfulfilled wish, the impossible want -- that we can somehow change what has happened. We cannot. 

Time is linear. The past is immutable. We can only move forward.  

The challenge, therefore, is to put down my desire for What Was Not, for the past will never be anything other than  exactly what it was, and to carry only the lessons I have learned into the future with me. Imagine the weight I could leave behind if I learned to do so.

And I can move forward with hope, always.

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
― Emily Dickinson

Photograph copyright 2012, 2014, Mediocria Firma. Used with gratitude.