Forgiveness News
Mother Forgives Her Daughter’s Attacker
Manawatu Standard, New Zealand. A partner of the Cheryl Thompson’s daughter attacked the daughter with a knife last September. She survived the attack. He was sentenced yesterday to five years and five months in jail. ??At the hearing, Mrs. Thompson said, “I’m not too sure how people feel about forgiveness, but for myself, I know it heals the heart and soothes the soul. I chose today to let [the attacker] know face to face that we forgive him.” The judge described the forgiveness as “remarkable compassion.”
A man who repeatedly stabbed his girlfriend while on a paranoid religious rampage has been forgiven by her family, which a judge described as “remarkable compassion”.
In the High Court at Palmerston North yesterday, Elim Tekotahi Emery, 21, was jailed for five years and five months on two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
On September 3, at a Feilding house, he stabbed his 18-year-old partner and his uncle with a boning knife.
His girlfriend was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery and originally Emery faced an attempted murder charge, but this was later downgraded.
Yesterday his partner’s mother, Cheryl Thompson, told the court about her feelings of forgiveness toward Emery.
“I’m sad it had to end this way for two young people who were supposed to start their lives together,” Ms Thompson said.
“I’m not too sure how people feel about forgiveness, but for myself, I know it heals the heart and soothes the soul.
“I chose today to let Elim know face to face that we forgive him …”??Read the full story.
Poem on Forgiveness
Be inspired by Robert Muller, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, and his poem on forgiveness.?? Then put your inspiration into action using this “daily forgiveness schedule” from advice columnist “Dear Abby.”
Click??here??to read more from The Houston Chronicle.
For more specific details on how to forgive, see??Dr. Bob’s phases of forgiveness.
Man Forgives Granddaughter Accused of Murdering Her Mother
Calgary, Alberta, Canada – Fred Mahingen lost his daughter, but he is not giving up on his grandchild who stands accused of taking the woman???s life.??Although he does not intend to be there for the trial because his deep emotional wounds are still healing, he says that when his granddaughter comes out of prison that he will “always be here for her.”
Brittany Mahingen was 18 when she was charged with second-degree murder for the Nov. 3, 2010 slaying of her mother, Leanne Mahingen.
Police have said the 38-year-old died of blunt-force trauma.
Leanne???s father, Fred Mahingen, said ???although the most horrible part??? is seeing his granddaughter charged, he hasn???t written her off.
???She phones me,??? he said, adding he also sends her money and is happy to talk to Brittany whenever she calls.
???She was afraid everybody would hate her. I told her I forgave her and love her and after that she couldn???t talk much.
???I forgave her ??? she???s my granddaughter.???
I Forgive My Son’s Killer
NYDailyNews.com. “I forgive my son’s killer,” says Phyllis Ferguson after her son, Demetrius Hewlin, was killed in an Ohio high school. “Until you’ve walked in another person’s shoes, you don’t know what made him come to this point.”
The parents of a teen killed in a shooting at an Ohio high school cafeteria on Monday have forgiven their son’s suspected killer, saying it was “God’s will” that their boy was taken from them in the morning rampage.
Phyllis Ferguson, the mother of Chardon High School shooting victim Demetrius Hewlin, told ABC News that if she had the chance to talk to suspected gunman T.J. Lane, “I would tell him I forgive him because, a lot of times, they don’t know what they’re doing. That’s all I’d say.”
A Healthy and Prosperous Heart: The Power of Forgiveness and Letting Go
Nelson Mandela’s words reveal a powerful truth, “Harboring resentment is like drinking poison, expecting if will kill your enemies.” Ongoing studies show that lack of forgiveness has a negative impact on our bodies, resulting in chronic health problems and diminished quality of life.
Rehashing old hurts, past wrongs, regrets can have a negative and toxic effect on all systems in the body, but particularly the heart. We wear down our cardiovascular system by replaying the toxic tapes and stories from our past, wreaking havoc on ourselves, our bodies, in innumerable ways, increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, while flooding our bodies with stress hormones that linger, creating an unhealthy inner environment of discomfort and disease.
Do yourself a favor. Focus your time and energy on cultivating a practice of forgiveness. Read the full story.
