Better, Not Bitter

Bitterness will lie to you. It’ll trick you into believing that you build a better future by holding on to the past. The truth is the past eventually spills out.

That’s what happened between Stacy and Janet, who were friends from high school. They were so close for so long that Stacy asked Janet to be her maid of honor at her wedding.

On the big day, the ceremony was beautiful, and Stacy was all smiles … until the reception. Janet offered a toast and told everyone that Stacy had bullied her in high school. She told them that Stacy teased her, said mean things to her, and made fun of her because of her good grades.

At first, Stacy though Janet was joking. But Janet’s tirade continued until Stacy led her to a backroom where they engaged in a heated confrontation while stunned guests waited awkwardly in the reception hall.

Despite Stacy’s repeated apologies over the years, Janet had waited for an opportunity to let her past come spilling out and humiliate Stacy for her mistakes.

I understand how tempting it can be to feel bitter. My dad chose alcohol over me and my siblings. And my stepfather abandoned us the day of my mother’s funeral. But I also know that bitterness fills our lives with more pain, not less.

If you’ve suffered because someone has hurt you, I encourage you to forgive. You build a better life, not by holding on to the past, but by freeing yourself from it.