Tonight I taught a 7 yr old about Forgiveness.
She was curled up on her bed sobbing. 7 year old sobs are different to mid-twenty sobs.
7 year old sobs are sweet and thick. They aren’t guarded. They aren’t worried about mascara. 7 year old sobs are hearty and heart breaking.
I walked over to her bedside and said, “I forgive you.” She kept crying. With her face buried amongst the purple pyjamas I had picked out.
“I forgive you, did you hear me. I‘m not angry.” Again nothing. I put my hand on her head and asked her if she was still felt bad anyway.
She nodded.
A few minutes earlier this little 7 year old had accidentally hurt me. We were playing and she got me in the face. It had hurt. A little bit. Not too much. She had stammered out her sorry’s before I could even say OWW.
Then she went silent. Then came the sobbing.
So she was crying. Not because her face hurt. Not because she wanted something. But because she wasn’t proud of her actions. I thought, “Geez so it begins.”
Then I tried to explain. I said…
Kiddo. Remember when I told you it was okay?
She nodded.
Remember when I said it didn’t hurt me anymore?
She nodded.
Remember when I said you don’t need to worry and that everyone makes mistakes?
She nodded.
That’s forgiveness. And do you see how I’m still holding your hand?
She nodded.
That means I forgive you, and now you just need to forgive yourself.
She thought for a while.
Then she gave me a hug and said she wanted to kiss it better until infinity.
I came home and tried to go to sleep.
I know people are still holding my hand. Sometimes it’s just hard to work out why.
xx
MATISSE WB 