Whirligig Intro Assignment-Forgiveness                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ryann McCready  03/30/17

               Forgiveness is the process of letting go the anger connected to the actions of oneself or someone else. Like this quote by Penny Lee, holding on to negative emotions, directing them towards someone, only takes up all the room for positive emotions. The reason forgiveness is so necessary for happiness is because, like this quote, the amount of happiness and love in our life diminishes the more anger and hatred we hold onto. Without forgiving, without letting go of the anger and hate, we can never fully be at peace, never fully be happy in our lives.

                In my life, forgiveness can only be given when the other person has remorse. However, withholding forgiveness isn’t healthy for either party. To me, giving forgiveness can be simple, if they understand they have something to be forgiven for. This makes it easy in the day to day, however, it makes it difficult to let go and move on from certain situations. However, this attitude towards forgiveness makes it simpler for me to admit that I’ve made a mistake or hurt someone, in a way that some people find difficult. I believe that certain people find admitting they’re wrong challenging because they’re afraid of the reactions from those who they’ve hurt. Sometimes when someone has been hurt, they can lash out, and avoiding that is almost instinctual.

                I believe that the benefits of Restorative Justice can clear the emotions that accompany certain situations. I believe that to be fully happy, you need to let go of harbored negative emotions, so I think that this process would provide a sense of satisfaction that justice has been fully served. I think that the process of restorative justice can allow the victim the chance to voice their feelings, and explain the real impact of the crime that most offenders never have to see. I believe that the process of being confronted by their victims also holds the offenders accountable for their wrong doings and helps them start on the path to making amends, and changing both the lives of the victims and the offenders for the better.