This week I saw the new movie Philomena. It's the true story of an Irish woman named Philomena Lee who as a teenager gave birth to a son out of wedlock. The movie chronicles her journey to find this son, who was taken from her when he was just a toddler. She had lived with that heartbreak while searching in vain for him through the years.
I was particularly struck by her ability to accept and to forgive. At one point, she tells the journalist who assists in her search that he is a very angry man. He agrees. And he does have many reasons to be. (Anger often is justified!) Philomena's response to him is so simple but profound: "It must be so exhausting."
Yes, it is extremely exhausting to keep on being angry, isn't it? Forgiveness is hard work, too, but it's also freeing. It frees us to move on. It frees up our energy for other things. And it doesn't keep us emotionally attached to whoever or whatever hurt us in the first place.
Now as another year begins, it's a good time to look at what you and I might let go and who we may need to forgive. Let's let go. Forgive. Free up our energy so we can lose the cocoons and truly fly free as the beautiful butterflies we are!
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