Forgiveness.  I’ve been thinking about forgiveness today and what it means.  Why?  Because my son is so dang cute and says the sweetest, cutest things. That’s why. 

A while back, I was teaching him about saying “sorry” and what that meant.  I want my kids to understand empathy.  We talked about really paying attention to how our actions can affect someone else.  Look at their face.  Are they hurt?  How can you tell?  We talked about saying “sorry” and asking for forgiveness.  We talked about what it means to forgive someone.

Kinda deep concepts for a 4 year old, maybe, but something I think is of much value and worth the time to teach early.

He has taken this lesson to heart, and it’s just very cute.  When I tell him “I’m sorry,” he will quip back: “That’s OK!  I forgive you!” in the sweetest voice you have ever heard.  His voice makes my heart grow wings, take flight, and soar high into the sky while I smile in delight.  Ahhh…. my boy.

Does he really understand what he is saying?  Maybe not yet.  But I’m planting the seed.

While I have often believed that forgiving someone is a gift that you give to someone else, there is much more to it than that.  You are saying that while you have been wronged, you are not going to be angry about it.  You are not going to hold a grudge.  That is wonderful.  And you know what?  That benefits YOU.  Forgiving is not just about absolving the other person of their actions.  It’s giving you the freedom to let go of that anger.

Forgiving is about freeing yourself from anger.  Why hold onto that feeling?  How will holding a grudge  really benefit you?

My mom taught this to me.  Years ago, we were talking about someone who really really wronged her.  In my mind, she had every right to never forgive that person.  But she did.  Why?  I asked?  WHY?  Did he really deserve to be forgiven?  She answered that she forgave him for HER.  She forgave him so that she could move forward and not hold onto that indignation.  It freed her to forgive.

It freed her to forgive.

I love that.  I love that lesson she taught me years ago, not just through her words, but through her actions.  I love that I have a forgiving heart.  Holding onto anger doesn’t do me any good.  I’m not saying that you have to keep on hanging out with someone that constantly wrongs you.  That would be dumb.  I am saying that not forgiving someone isn’t really punishing them, it’s punishing YOU.  It’s bogging you down.  It’s making your heart heavy.

So, for whatever reason, this was on my mind today.  So, I thought I’d share. Maybe not my typical, happy and crazy blog post, but maybe it will touch something in you, for what it’s worth.

You got someone you need to forgive?  Do it!  Let it go!  It just might make your heart grow wings, take flight, and soar high into the sky.

It just might make you feel like this.

And I’m thinkin’ that’s a good thing.…

OK, so maybe it’s not that big of  deal, but to me, it’s just huge!  I submitted a photo to be on the cover of a photographers’ online forum, and right now, RIGHT NOW, if you click on

THIS LINK

you can see it!

Did you do it?  Did you click?  Did you see it???

Insert happy squeals of laughter

right

about

here.  —>  (these are happy squeals of laughter)

SUPER excited to see it there.  I don’t know for how long it’s gonna be up, as they rotate the image, but still, I’m kinda just super giddy.

Did you miss the link?  Come on!  I’ll go with you!  We can SKIP there!  It’s right HERE!!!

Heeeeheheeee…. *squeal*   * giggle*    *smile*

The rules were that the picture had to be that size and had to be in B&W.  I like it as a B&W, I LOVE it in color.  I have it as a 20×20 all big in my house.

While it was nothing short of awful that he broke his arm, when he chose the blue cast, I immediately started formulating ideas.  SO glad he chose blue.  Such a good boy.

So, here it is in color, with other pictures that were taken that same evening.

Isn’t he just the fiercest, most scariest, sharkboy you have EVER seen?  I know.  Don’t be scared.   You’ll be okay.  He’s quite harmless.

I was borrowing my dad’s fisheye lens.  15mm.  Love it madly.  I just don’t get why he won’t go ahead and just GIVE it to me.  Hehe….

I processed this one a bit more sunshiny.  My loves.  My loves.  I am a lucky mama.

And then this one?  I really can’t stand his utter and undeniably cute face.  I love that this was captured within minutes of the first one, but looks so much different based on my exposure and how I chose to process it in Photoshop.

Thanks for looking!  I am on cloud nine having my bubba on the cover for now.  Sorry if I was too gushy.  I get that way sometimes.

And really, feel free to leave a comment!  I love me some comments!…

I am a posting machine right now.  If this is any indication of how nerdy I was in school, then, um, yeah, you might just have a good idea of how nerdy I was.  I’m still behind.  I still have 3 themes from the 52 week challenge that I have to get posted: water, money, and shoes.  I’m posting my water pics right now.

I’m catching up.  It feels good.

So, because I am SO dedicated to this 52 week challenge, and I knew that one of the themes was WATER, I decided I had better just pack up the whole family and head to Hawaii, where there’s lots of water.  I’m so dedicated.  So very very dedicated.

These pics were all taken on my trip to Hawaii, where I admit, most of the time, I used a wee little point and shoot so that I didn’t have to lug my “big guns” around.  But, I still got some nice pics!

Where to start?  Well, how about the fantabulous pool that was in our backyard?  We were lucky enough to get to house sit this beautiful house while we were there.  It’s a saline pool.  Easy on the eyes.  And yes, yes, those ARE two sea turtles handcrafted into the bottom of the pool.  And yes, it was really warm.  And yes, there was an outdoor shower and birds and angels singing.  OK, fine.  No angels, but definitely birds.

It was wonderful.

This was a 30 second exposure taken on my tripod on a dark and very windy night.

The kids loved it.  Look at those eyes.  “Mommy?  Can we just stay in here a little longer?”

“Um, okay….”

“Please, Mommy.  Can we please have 1 million dollars?”

“Um…. okay.”

And, I told you I used my point and shoot.  Here are those pics.  This is in Lanikai.  That island out there is one of the Mokulua islands.  When I lived there, we would kayak out there.  I have great memories of this place.

I have a very serious child.  It’s tough how serious he is.  He just doesn’t know how to loosen up and have a good time.

It’s a problem.

The sand in Lanikai is like powder.  VERY fine.  It’s super soft and wonderful.  But, kind of a pain to get off your skin.  Jeez.  Poor me.  I suffered, SUFFERED, trying to get that sand off my feet.

You do feel sorry for me, right?

That’s it!  Thanks for looking!…