佚名/Anonymous
I recently visited a friend in the hospice unit at one of our local hospitals.
As I was talking with Bill, a gentleman walked into the room. Bill began to cry and so did the gentleman. The gentleman leaned over the bed to embrace Bill. After a few moments the gentleman, Ken, said to me,“He's my brother. We haven't spoken in over 25 years.”
Caught by surprise by his comment, I said,“You're kidding me?”
“No.”replied Ken.“We had an argument over a piece of property and have been estranged from each other.”
Bill said,“Ken, you haven't met my children.”
Then Bill introduced his children to their uncle. I left the hospice unit thinking, there's something wrong when we can't forgive. Life is short and it's diffcult to make up for all the time that has been lost.
This experience caused me to ponder the power of forgiveness and the need for it in our lives. Sure, when someone says something or does something to cause us harm, it hurts. But we need to move beyond the hurt, to healing, which comes from forgiveness.
I like to think of forgiveness as the bold choice we make to clear out of our lives resentment, bitterness, anger, hatred, and revenge. We need to ask ourselves,“Do I want to waste precious time and energy carrying around these nasty feelings?”
Holding on to the past only weakens the relationship we have with a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister, or friend, and keeps us from mending it and putting it back together.
Often forgiveness is not for the other person；it's for us—to let it go and begin again.
Charlie, a friend of mine, came to see me about a problem he was having. He was angry with his father for dying. He said,“He died just when I was getting to know him as a buddy, a friend. We'd fsh, hunt, and golf together. Now it's all gone.”
I told him,“You have unfnished business with your father. Go and tell him.”
“He's dead,”Charlie said,“How can I?”
I said,“Get in your car and go to the cemetery and tell him how angry you are with him.”He left me looking confused.
Two weeks later, Charlie came and told me,“I feel better. I drove to the cemetery and stood over his grave and dumped my angry. Then I closed my eyes and said to myself what I felt my dad would say. Wow, I never realized how much energy keeping all that anger inside can do to a person.”
Forgiveness brings healing, freedom, and peace back into our lives. It opens our eyes to see what happened. It calls on us to pulldown the walls, stop the silent treatment and put an end to the cold war.
Use today as an opportunity to open a door that has been closed too long. Forgive. Let it go. Put it behind you and see how much better you will feel.
Give it a try. It works.
最近，我前往當地一家醫院的住院部看望一個朋友。
當我和比爾一起聊天時，一位先生走進房間。比爾看到他，便開始哭泣，那位先生也跟著哭了起來。那位先生還彎下腰來擁抱**的比爾。過了一會兒，那位名叫肯的先生告訴我：“他是我哥哥，我們已經有25年沒說過話了。”
他的話讓我大吃一驚，我說：“你是在開玩笑吧？”
“不，我們曾經為了一筆財產發生過爭執，從那以後，我們就再沒來往過。”肯回答。
比爾說：“肯，你還沒看到過我的孩子。”
接著，比爾將他的孩子們挨個兒介紹給他們的叔叔。我離開關懷病區時感慨萬分：我們不肯寬恕別人是多麽不應該。生命匆匆，要想把所有丟失的時間全都補上，是非常困難的。
這次經曆讓我開始思考寬恕的力量，思量著我們對寬恕的迫切需求。的確，當他人的言語或行為讓我們受到傷害的時候，我們會覺得受了傷。可是，我們需要跨越傷害，去療傷止痛，而寬恕則是治愈傷痛的良藥。
我願意把寬恕當成一種勇敢的選擇。寬恕清除了生活中的怨恨、苦難、憤怒、憎惡和複仇。我們應該自我反省：“我情願把寶貴的時間和精力浪費在這些令人厭惡的情緒上嗎？”
對過去的事仍然耿耿於懷，隻會影響我們與愛人、父母、孩子、兄弟姐妹或者朋友的關係，而不會幫助我們增進感情，重歸於好。
多數情況下，寬恕並不是為了對方，而是為了我們大家。讓過去隨風而去，重新開始我們的生活。
有一天，我的朋友查理來看我，那時正有一個問題困擾著他。他為父親的離去憤怒不已。他說：“就在我剛要把他當成夥伴、朋友時，他卻走了。我們曾經一起去釣魚，一起打獵，一起打高爾夫球。而現在，一切都不複存在了。”
我對他說：“你和你的父親還有一件事沒有完成，去告訴他吧。”
“但他已經去世了。”查理說，“我應該怎樣告訴他呢？”
我回答道：“開車去墓地，向他傾訴你是多麽氣憤。”他滿臉疑惑地離開了我。
兩個星期過去了，查理跑來對我說：“我感覺好多了。我開車到了墓地，站在他的墓前發泄了我的怒火。接著，我閉上眼睛，想象著父親可能會對我說的話。天哪，我從未想過那些憤怒藏在心裏，會對一個人造成多麽大的影響。”
寬恕可以把康複、自由與和平再一次帶回到我們的生活中來。曾經發生過的事，給我們帶來一個全新的視角。它召喚著我們推倒高牆，停止沉默，終結冷戰。
利用今天的機會去開啟那扇關閉了許久的門吧！要寬恕，讓過去隨風而逝。忘記過去，看看你是否覺得心情舒暢。
試一試吧，這種方法很有效。
W詞匯筆記
ponder['p?nd?]v.沉思；考慮
例 We pondered whether to tell her.
我們考慮是否要告訴她。
forgiveness[f?'givnis]n.寬恕；寬容之心
例 She besought his forgiveness.
她乞求他原諒。
cemetery['semitri]n.公墓；墓地
例 A new red truck drived into the cemetery, parks, and three large men climbed out.
一輛嶄新的紅色卡車駛進墓地，停下，裏麵鑽出三個魁梧的男子。
grave[greiv]n.墳墓
例 She laid the bouquet on the newly turfed grave.
她把這束花放置在新鋪上草皮的墳墓上。
S小試身手
我願意把寬恕當成一種勇敢的選擇。
譯________________________________________
多數情況下，寬恕並不是為了對方，而是為了我們大家。
譯________________________________________
寬恕可以把康複、自由與和平再一次帶回到我們的生活中來。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
Life is short and it's difficult to make up for all the time that has been lost.
make up for：補償；彌補
造________________________________________
He was angry with his father for dying.
be angry with：對某人發脾氣
造________________________________________