All morning I had listened to the crashing of ice skidding off the trees and slamming onto the roof. The little dog and I were finally out sliding in the freezing rain. As I peered down the ice rink of a road, there was a huge buck deer at a standstill right in the middle, daring me to come closer. What was supposed to keep him safe, the cover of the trees, had turned into where the sky was falling.
We've all felt it at some time in our lives. We thought we were among friends when we suddenly got hit with a curve ball. Like someone putting a sign on our back when we're not looking. Stupid. Not enough.
We've been made fun of for something that is true. Female. Divorced. Garbage man, or cop. Maybe you were picked on because of your heritage, or what your dad did for a living. My family is Polish, so our background was; change your name so no one knows.
I'm sorry for the times that you've been picked on, judged or double-crossed. I'm sorry if your family has been ostracized, or if some people group picked on your kin.
Where do we go from here? Maybe the hurt feelings go back for generations. Maybe your family has never forgiven. What are you going to do, even though the legacy left to you was anger and bitterness?
Have you considered making a different choice? What would it look like to begin the process of forgiveness, so that your children's inheritance can look different than yours has? Someone has to forgive. Can it start with you?
I know. It's not right. Someone was supposed to keep you safe, and they let you down. Someone had no right to take your land, but they did. Someone had nothing on you, and yet they still stabbed you in the back. I'm not saying it was right. I'm just asking if you can go forward.
Change your legacy.
Very well written.