FORGIVENESS   It seems that nearly every survivor comes to the point of whether to forgive or not. I don't believe that forgiveness means forgetting and acting like the abuse/rape never occurred. It means taking control of our lives and not allowing one individual to destroy us. Aside from forgiving the sex offender/rapist, one must come to a forgiveness of oneself in the sense that all of us tend to blame ourselves for being victimized. Forgiving does not mean letting everything go unpunished.  I know that I had to forgive myself and the inner child within before I could proceed with my healing.  I have not forgiven my abuser as of yet, nor do I believe that I will.  This was my personal choice. Some people will tell you that you cannot begin to heal unless you forgive the abuser.  I think forgiveness is an individual thing and comes in time when a person is ready to take that path in their healing.  First and foremost forgive yourself. If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments about forgiveness, please e-mail me. I would love to hear from you. Copyright © 2002-2010 SkysVision.com • All Rights Reserved