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You are here: Crunchy Betty » Blog » Soul Food » For-Giving & Forgiveness: Food For Your Soul

For-Giving & Forgiveness: Food For Your Soul

Last updated on January 3, 2017 by Crunchy Betty
For-Giving & Forgiveness: Food For Your Soul 4

‘Tis the season of giving. Giving, buying, making, giving, giving, giving.

We get so caught up in the giving (and in the stress of finding the right giving to give) that we forget about the other kind of giving. The kind that really matters. For-giving. Forgiving. And forgiveness.

Especially when we’re all cramped together with family we love, but who’ve really done some pretty stinky things in the past. Your brother Kyle? Remember when he picked on your weight? And your mom? Jeezopee, how she made everything about her, even when you were crying about the boy who wouldn’t kiss you. And maybe your husband hasn’t been so honest about money this year. UGH. WHAT A JERK.

In the time of closeness and sharing and proximity that may last a few hours too long, it’s about darned time we learned to forgive. Actually, maybe it’s time we learn to forgive… all year ’round. Every resplendent day.

Inspired by a (ahem) true-ish story, I give you one of Crunchy Betty’s patented magnificently artistic stick-drawing stories of why you should think about being FOR-giving. Right now. And forever and ever. Amen.

Judy and the Alternate Universe of Forgiveness

This is Judy. Say hello.

Food For Your Soul: For-Giving

Judy loves to sing. In the shower, at church, when she’s cleaning the kitchen, and at karaoke after a couple of martinis.

It doesn’t matter much to her that she’s off-key … sometimes (really, only sometimes). Singing makes her feel good. Like she’s harnessing the power of the universe and jetting it out of her mouth, like a crazy melody bird.

However, Judy has a husband named Tim. And while Tim likes Judy to feel happy, sometimes he doesn’t like it when she sings. Only sometimes.

But today, in particular, while he’s trying to watch football, he really doesn’t like it. He looks in the telephone book for a seamstress and wonders how much it would cost to get a zipper installed on Judy’s mouth.

Because he knows how crazy that is, he marches out to the kitchen, where Judy’s singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow (rasta style) and yells at her.

Food For Your Soul: For-Giving

And so, Judy was hurt. And angry. And she stopped singing.

Of course, Tim didn’t really want Judy to stop singing forever. He actually liked it on occasion. But sometimes people are stupid and say stupid things, and Tim eventually felt like a great big giant jerk for what he said.

Like, really. He really felt bad. All the way deep in his manly, flat stomach.

So he went to Judy and he said, “Listen, honey. I didn’t mean what I said. I like it when you sing sometimes. I just had a rough day and all I wanted was to watch football in peace. Will you forgive me?”

And Judy said …

Food For Your Soul: For-Giving

And she kind of forgave him. But not really. Judy stopped singing and started sulking.

Every time Tim opened his mouth, she thought about what he said and it was like a knife in her guts. “OH.” she cried when he wasn’t around. “I probably do sound terrible, but he was so mean.”

And their lives went on. For three months. And that un-forgiveness that Judy harbored in her soul grew and grew and grew until it was a bubble around her and Tim couldn’t touch her in the same way. Their days looked like this.

Food For Your Soul: For-Giving

The good news is, eventually Judy forgot all about the singing incident and made a delicious pot roast for dinner.

The bad news is, for three months, Judy completely lost out on the alternate universe in which she actually truly and completely forgave Tim for his harsh and unfortunate words.

The alternate universe looked like this:

Food For Your Soul: For-Giving

And in this alternate universe – the one where Judy really and truly forgave and let the hurt go – she and Tim went to concerts and read the funny pages together (even though hardly anyone ever does that anymore) and fell more in love than ever before.

Food For Your Soul: For-Giving

The Moral of the Story

The longer you wait to forgive someone you love, the more YOU miss out on all of the good things they have to offer.

This includes the leftover anger you have at your siblings for being mean when you were kids, the resentment you have toward your mother for not letting you go to senior prom, your children for misbehaving, and even your significant other… just because sometimes they say things that make you mad.

Don’t miss out on the alternate universe THIS holiday season.

(Also, maybe only sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow rasta-style when you’re alone.)

The end.

LOVE YOU!

P.S. If you prefer to say “I forgive you” through gift giving, the Crunchy Market is a great option all year around! And it makes me happy 🙂

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Category: Soul Food

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About Crunchy Betty

I’m Betty. I’m addicted to beauty recipes. Especially the natural, crunchy, food-based ones. I sell a few natural beauty products on Etsy. This site is my outlet to provide the world with love, affection, and a gosh-darned good reason to put food on your faces!

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Comments

  1. Matilda

    December 30, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    there’s song is about war, and i think it’s worth a look.  it’s these two fifth graders who wrote how unfair war is. to quote them, “This song is written for all the people who are risking their lives to
    make our lives happy and peaceful, and for all their mothers, fathers,
    siblings and firends who miss them terribly.”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAEj3PJ9Ekc

  2. Anonymous

    December 12, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    I think this is going to be a CB challenge for me to accomplish this holiday period.  I have some forgiving to do; forgiving someone else and forgiving myself.  Thanks for the timely reminder.

    It’s been so quiet on here lately, I just want you to know that I’m still here and reading every post.  It’s just hard to find a moment to comment at this time of year!  You’ve been through some tough times lately and you need our lovin’ 🙂 xxoo

  3. Susan Fine

    December 10, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    Okay, first off, I just belted out Somewhere Over The Rainbow rasta style because I thought I was alone.  I was not.  😀  Oh well.  They already think I’m crazy 🙂

    This was a good message for me right now.  Thank you for reminding me that while I’m giving generously of my time, my love, and my money; that I also need to give generously of my forgiveness.  It’s a hard lesson for me as I tend to hold onto things.

    Blessings and Light

    Susan

     

  4. Debbie915631

    December 9, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    This really caught my eye. Holidays are hellidays for some of us just because of the thing we are not for-giving.  Not long ago, I too posted a piece on forgiveness; your post was so much simpler and easier to digest.

  5. LisaLise

    December 9, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    Love your drawing style, love your story, love you (oops– did I say that out loud?) 🙂
    Happy holidays Betty

  6. Sasha Michel

    December 8, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    Ive never heard such a crazy awesome way to describe forgiveness. Two stick figures in an alternate universe…. It really makes me think of it in a whole new way. Thank you so much for this =)

    PS…. the cute stick figures singing rasta style sure doesn’t hurt either.

  7. Zaynab

    December 8, 2011 at 9:33 PM

    Throughout the rest of the article, I couldn’t get the Somewhere over the Rainbow song out of my head! Soomewheeerrre Oooverrr tthhhe Rrraiiiiiiinnnnbooowwww! La-la-la! Haha! Anyways, it was such a cute story and the stick figures are just too cute! Beautiful reminder of what the holidays are about…..love…forgiveness….and family! You rock! 🙂

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