What it is
Posted on | June 27, 2006 | 9 Comments
Paint gets everywhere, on his legs, on the rough red of the patio bricks, on the paper, and I nod. “Yes,” I say, “Yes that’s awesome! Do some more.” And he grins, swirling the brush through the paint, confident in my pleasure.
He swipes the paper with a bold stroke of red, thick as jelly, and looks up, checking for my grin. Then a smile alights softly on his face, like a playful cat, matching my own. So here we are, in this moment of pure joy. All previous frustrations, tantrums, exhaustion, entirely obliterated by this bright happiness.
Each day I learn this, again and again: allowing someone to make you happy is the ultimate forgiveness. Allowing a small gesture of joy or tenderness to pool in your heart, again and again and again, even when things have come up short. To open, even after words have zig-zagged like blistered arrows across the room and leaving dark trails of hurt across the heart; to allow a small fissure for pleasure to split sorrow in half like a opened melon, this is forgiveness.
***
PS–the theme over at Mama Says Om this week is forgive, go check it out.
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June 27th, 2006 @ 9:09 pm
so true…
so simple
and yet so true.
June 28th, 2006 @ 12:17 am
A very simple truth, but one I could discuss forever over a good cup of coffee. One of my favorite bits on forgiveness is by Madeleine L’Engle, I’m surprised I don’t have it memorized by now. Will have to look it up and send it your way – but yours is just right, too. When we allow someone back in – when we are able to say, with our actions and our hearts – I can be happy – what happened, big or small, doesn’t have the capacity to damage or destroy – that is the beauty of forgiveness.
Thanks for letting me talk this out!
June 28th, 2006 @ 3:21 am
Allowing others to give us happiness is sometimes so hard to learn. Lovely moments!
June 28th, 2006 @ 7:04 am
The red and blue is so beautiful together. I needed so desperately today, to read these words…”allowing someone to make you happy is the ultimate forgiveness”.
June 28th, 2006 @ 12:44 pm
I love it. The colors, the texture. Everything. Your writing made me picture the two of you sitting outside, painting together. It’s so important to notice when you’re happy as easily as we notice when we’re sad, upset or frustrated. Thanks for sharing, Christina.
June 28th, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
beautiful lesson you’ve shared here!
June 28th, 2006 @ 4:27 pm
This was so beautiful. It is rare that I read a blog post so clearly gives me something to think about in my own life and this one does. “Allowing someone to make you happy is the ultimate forgiveness…” that’s one that will stay with me, Christina. Thanks!
June 28th, 2006 @ 10:14 pm
Thank you I really needed to hear that tonight. sigh. Kids. Hurricanes one minute, sunshine the next.
June 30th, 2006 @ 12:46 am
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