– Brian L. Weiss
I have said and done some bad things in my life. For example, when I was in high school, I dated a boy I was not really into all that much, so after a few months, we broke up. Some time later, a good friend of mine started going out with him. I didn’t take that well, and soon my friend and I were friends no more. Years later, those two actually ended up getting married! I was older and wiser by then, so when I heard the news, I instantly knew myself to be a small-hearted, self-absorbed fool. I certainly no longer blamed my friend for going out with the boy she knew to be her soul mate; it was perfectly clear to me that I was the one in the wrong. While I’ve forgiven myself for being a @#$%!, I don’t forget these things, for they really come in handy whenever I’m tempted to write someone off for something they’ve done that I find unacceptable. I wouldn’t want anyone to judge me based on my worst behavior in the past, and I figure others deserve the same consideration. We are all constantly growing and changing, so we should keep our hearts open to the possibility that someone who deeply hurt us could change and grow into someone worthy of our trust, love and respect. If you have written someone off and they are reaching out to you to make amends, put yourself in their shoes and test the waters. Some of the most beautiful relationships in my life now are with people who somehow deceived, abandoned or betrayed me at some point along the way.