A Single Candle

One small flame burning bright,
Boldly holding off the night.
One solitary beacon, lone and warm,
Bravely holding off the swarm
Of Shadows.

One flickering flame, small and weak,
Buring down, oh so meek.
One tiny glow in a sea of black,
Simply cannot light the track
We walk.

One puny light, not bright
Enough to hold off the night.
One pathetic ghost of flame,
Striving to rid itself of shame
And sorrow.

Still burning. Alone.

Forgiveness

This is something that can be really hard to come by. Some people go their whole lives without getting it. A lot of people want it, others need it and don't get it, and then there's the ones that need it but don't admit to needing it. I've been through each at some point in my life. I've wanted forgiveness for things that I actually didn't need forgiveness for. Right now I'm wishing two people I care about a lot would forgive me for a bunch of mistakes I've made. I've met some people who, to me, need forgiveness. They beat themselves down and treat themselves like trash. Often they don't need another's forgiveness though, they need their own.

A lot of people live by the words "forgive and forget". More people should, it makes living with each other easier. I know some people have trouble forgiving, much less forgetting. If someone wrongs you , you often want to ignore them or get back at them in some way. The problem with that is that you only hurt each other and cause problems. It's not always the case, but some of those people you hear about in the news; the ones who go into schools and shoot students, the ones who take their dad's gun and shoot several people on the street, they often haven't been forgiven. They got into an argument with someone and were hurt and wanted revenge. They got teased by someone who needed to forgive someone themselves. They were rejected, scorned, burned, thrown aside. Sometimes they did over-react, but I think a lot of the time they just needed to forgive and forget.

A friend of mine who I hurt a while ago forgave me recently for what I did. I'm not sure I deserve their forgiveness, but I am grateful. Being ignored by one of your best and closest friends in not something I would recommend. Getting someone to forgive you is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. Often words won't cut it, sometimes you have to wait. I don't know about you, but I hate waiting. Yet I've often been forced to. I realize that talking with someone only makes things worse, and then when I finally settle myself with the idea that I have to wait, I find they usually have forgiven me.

I think the first step to being forgiven is admitting you wronged the other person. This is going to be hard for those who have a large ego and great pride. Keep in mind, you are not admitting this to the other person, you are admitting this to yourself! The second is apologizing to the other person. This is the part where words might help you, but I've found it's best to speak plainly and simply. Admit you were wrong and explain to the person that you still want to be friends and that you are sorry. This is the part I have trouble with. A lot of people often don't believe me when I say I'm sorry. Step three, waiting. Once you've said sorry to the other person, you are stuck waiting for them to forgive you. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes not.

Everyone needs forgiveness. If you start being more free with forgiving people who have hurt you, then you're more likely to be forgiven. If someone hurts you or makes you angry, find out why they did it and forgive them. The faster you sort things out between the two of you, the faster you can go back to being friends. Forget how many times you've hurt each other, and work on being good friends.