Forgiveness
You are not thinking clearly
When you refuse to forgive
On the grounds that you would not
Be fair to yourself.

Forgiving is the only way to be fair
to yourself.

Getting even is a loser's game.
It is the ultimate frustration
Because it leaves you with more pain
than you got in the first place.

The only way to heal the pain
That will not heal itself
Is to forgive the person who hurt you.
Forgiving stops the reruns of pain.

When you release the wrongdoer
From the wrong,
You cut a malignant tumor
Out of your inner life.

You set a prisoner free,
But you discover that the real prisoner
Was yourself.

(From the book Forgive and Forget by Lewis B. Smedes)
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