Photo Credit: Nic Taylor / Flickr

Dr. Jill Hubbard and I would like to suggest that forgiveness is the best way forward. While forgiveness can be difficult, here are six reasons to try it.

1. She chose to give you life. When we’re hurt and disappointed, often we compile a list of all that our mother didn’t do for us, forgetting to count all she did. Did she provide food, water, a bed, clothing, rides to school and after school events? Did she make lunches for us, take us to the beach, buy us Christmas presents? Even if she did none of these things, and even if your mother didn’t raise you, remember this: she chose to keep the pregnancy and bring you to light and life. She could have chosen otherwise.

2. She tried her best. Even without knowing your mother, I know this is almost always true. Our mothers—birth mothers, stepmothers, adoptive mothers– all came to parenting with their own loads of baggage and circumstances. Some of our mothers were not mothered themselves. They simply did not know how to do it. Some were trapped in very difficult marriages, or were alone without support. All of our mothers struggled with more than we knew as children, and even more than we know now as adults. I think of how my mother led us through years without any family income, her resourcefulness in making our clothes, in making all of our bread and growing most of our own food. While we were often unhappy about our food, clothes, the houses we lived in, our mother did all she could with the resources she had at hand. Likely your mother did as well.

3. She cannot repay her “debts” against you. When we forgive, we release the offender from the hurts and “debts” they owe us. We do this because it is impossible for them to pay back what they “owe” us. They simply can’t. They’re unable either by temperament, by circumstances, by their own human limitations. We’re either stuck trying to exact from our mothers whatever debts they have incurred—-or we let them go. We give the gift of mercy. When we do this, we not only free our mothers, but we free ourselves from acting as judge and jury over them. Those years are gone, and while you and your mother may wish to take them back, it’s not possible. Realistically assess what happened. Seek counseling if you need help with this. And begin to move forward with the wisdom the past is now able to give you.

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Photo Credit: Franklin Regional High School

Students will still be allowed to carry traditional backpacks to and from school, but the way they carry their belongings between classes will be different.

For years, students have been using small bags of their choice to carry items such as computer cords, but now they will use new clear bags.

The new bags were distributed today, compliments of #1 Cochran.

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