Many years ago (almost 10, actually), while I was still in high school, I had a friend take a lot of her life frustrations on me in one LONG blow-up phone call. She threw around a lot of harsh words, and told me about all the things I''d done that made me "the worst person she''d ever known." I never saw it coming, and was left completely devastated and confused - especially because a lot of the things she said she was angry about had, in fact, never happened. In the months following, I heard whispers about her speaking ill of me in front of others, some very very bad (and made up) things... and of course as a 15-year-old, this stuff hurt a LOT more than it would now.
Fast-forward to now, and I get a letter from her begging my forgiveness. She says a lot of things about being depressed and struggling with life at that time, and that she took everything out on me even though I "in no way deserved it." She''s "very very sorry," and would be "unworthy but grateful for [my] forgiveness." At the end, she thanked me for "this chance to apologize" and said she hoped "life has treated much better than [she] did."
It''s been sitting unanswered for nearly a month now, I''m embarrassed to admit.
The thing is, this same thing has happened with two other people since her. Each time, I''m left hurt and confused. One reached out to me and we somewhat reconciled (forgiven but not forgotten), never heard from the other, and now I''m hearing from this first person.
I''ve been struggling with a response, but the wound is so old and so deep that I can''t really find the words. It''s not that I don''t appreciate her reaching out, and the courage that it took... it''s just that it has been SO long that I feel I have nothing left in me to offer her.
Thanks for making it through my novel. I suppose all I can ask is for reflections on forgiveness, experiences you''ve had... and hopefully, some help in finding appropriate words for this person.
Fast-forward to now, and I get a letter from her begging my forgiveness. She says a lot of things about being depressed and struggling with life at that time, and that she took everything out on me even though I "in no way deserved it." She''s "very very sorry," and would be "unworthy but grateful for [my] forgiveness." At the end, she thanked me for "this chance to apologize" and said she hoped "life has treated much better than [she] did."
It''s been sitting unanswered for nearly a month now, I''m embarrassed to admit.
The thing is, this same thing has happened with two other people since her. Each time, I''m left hurt and confused. One reached out to me and we somewhat reconciled (forgiven but not forgotten), never heard from the other, and now I''m hearing from this first person.
I''ve been struggling with a response, but the wound is so old and so deep that I can''t really find the words. It''s not that I don''t appreciate her reaching out, and the courage that it took... it''s just that it has been SO long that I feel I have nothing left in me to offer her.
Thanks for making it through my novel. I suppose all I can ask is for reflections on forgiveness, experiences you''ve had... and hopefully, some help in finding appropriate words for this person.