“Mommy, how do lady bugs protect themselves?”

Today I was on an airplane from Atlanta, Georgia to Madison, Wisconsin. Two rows in back of me were a mother and her precocious and inquisitive four-year-old daughter, who asked, “Mommy, how do lady bugs protect themselves?” I doubt the mother ever heard a question like that. I never have.

It was such a tenderhearted question. Here is the little girl in an airplane and she is concerned about bugs and their protection. Because children are so vulnerable, I wonder if they are particularly sensitive to this issue of protection.

We should all be like children and have this sensitivity. Every person on the planet is fragile in a certain way and therefore needs protection.

Forgiveness is a form of protection. It can protect the dignity of the wrongdoer. It can protect the emotional health of the one harmed. Forgiveness can protect a relationship that is now at-risk. Forgiveness can even protect communities from on-going anger that can pervade neighborhoods, separate people, and leave a blight that depresses economies. After all, communities continually in contention do not receive the tourist dollars and governments often turn away, ever if subtly, from such communities with high rates of violence.

We are one-up on the lady bugs. They do not know of forgiveness. We surely must not forget about forgiveness as we go about our busy lives. We need the protection.

Robert

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Categories: Consequences of Forgiving, Our Forgiveness Blog

6 comments

  1. Catalina says:

    Children are our window to heaven. This is such a cute question that the little girl asked. And you are right that we all need protection. I will practice forgiveness more so I can add a little more protection to a troubled world.

  2. Sam says:

    I wish I had known about forgiveness since I was a child. I could have been protected from the anger of some adults in my life who just let loose with their discontent and they tended to let loose on me. At least I can start to use forgiveness now as a protection for myself and others.

  3. Pearl says:

    This is precious. Thank you for the uplifting post. We learn from observing the innocent hearts of children. Yes, forgiveness offers protection.

  4. Beth says:

    At this time of year we have quite a few lady bugs visiting inside our home, climbing up the windows and curtains. Today and in the future they are welcome to share the home (within reason, of course). They need protection too. When I see them climbing the curtains, I will think of my own children and their need to be protected. I will hug them with a little more love.

  5. Elizabeth says:

    This website is so sweet. It helps my heart to stay soft. I hope that others are as blessed by this site as I am.

  6. Samantha says:

    When will world communities start to understand that resentment is just as toxic as economic poverty and may contribute to it? Forgiveness indeed seems to be a protection on the individual, family, and community levels. Maybe forgiveness’ time has finally come.

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