Every year my daughter and I take my mother to a rendezvous with her two sisters. One of my cousins comes with her daughter and granddaughters as well. While all of us raised glasses full of various liquids, (anywhere from water to wine), my cousin proposed a toast. “To the strong women of this family!” Looking around, I found that she has spoken truly.
Forever Forgiving
Around the table
I see faces I love.
Beautiful faces.
Smiling faces.
and behind the smiles are women
who have faced
fear
and failure.
For each of us has our own story.
Stories of love and laughter,
of faith and forgiveness.
Stories of boating accidents that left one with a broken neck,
and doctors who cared more about pocketbooks than pain.
Stories of explosions
and fire
and horrific death
all due to the negligence of another.
Stories of husbands lost too soon
with seemingly no explanation.
Stories of women abused
by immature and broken men.
Nightmarish truth
scabs over and over again.
We forgive and pick at the scab,
and we feel the wound once more
and forgive again.
And we heal better this time.
the Scab grows back a little smaller this time.
We draw a little Closer to God this time.
Now, there are smiles on the faces
of these women I love.
Genuine smiles.
I hear stories of faith
and forgiveness.
Not quick hurried forgivenes
that comes in a fleeting moment.
and hurries away faster than it came.
But the daily practice of forgiveness
that takes a lifetime of faith to finish.
This is my heritage.
Women who won’t quit
They keep going…
Walking toward forgiveness.
Walking toward the Forgiver.
Joining Ann and Emily today
journeytoepiphany.wordpress.com 
Love this. A lineage of life, loss and hard lessons. Brave and strong women indeed. XO
No stronger than my lovely friend Guinevere.
“Doctors who cared more about pocketbooks than pain”.
I know I’m not the only person to suffer from this, but I’m truly sorry to hear others have as well. One of the lowest things I can think of, besides hurting an animal, is to take advantage of others’ pain for your own profit.
And that is quite the roster of sufferings you list – a true shame it had to happen to your “gang”.
Strong women indeed – and beautiful in so many ways.
It does seem that we have more than our share of pain, but we are choosing to exchange our pain and shame for His beauty and confidence.
We do these gatherings with the women in my family as well. Thank you for sharing a beautiful description of how it all works…
Thanks for coming by! It’s nice to know other families join our tradition.
So proud of all the women in my family . So blessed to have lived to see all these wonderful generations of strong females . Beautifully written by my talented niece, I have to admit it was an emotional read. God blessed me with sons but also blessed me with 2 awesome sisters and wonderful nieces unto the 4th generation, March on ladies & reach for the brass ring. from one of the “Aunts” from ” The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Aunts .”
You truly are one of my heroes! Your fearless angle on life inspires me…March on Brigadier General.
Thanks JourneyGirl for this post with carefully chosen words that gently guides us to beauty where there has been pain. I cry (but what’s new?…I am the weepie Aunt) ….because of so much love…..you are indeed a precious gift, my daughter, a treasure.
I love you Aunt Barb!
As one of those who may have been an imature young man. I’m extreamly greatfull that I had a woman that was in it for the long haul. Even as a teenager She was a real woman. She didn’t learn that on her own. She was raised by Woman who were strong and ful of love. Woman who put God first. She became the Love of my life. My help mate. My world. My partner. I could never emagine liveing without her. She is my blessing from God. It takes alot for a man to admit it, But you ladies inspire me, to continue on. God has truely blessed us guys with you. Love you ladies. 🙂
Curt- I, too, was fortunate enough to find a lady to stand by me as I lost my health, job, home, and for a while, my desire to do anything. Her only comment, made once when challenged why she would stick with a “cripple” like me? “He took care of me for over 15 years, I figure I owe him.” She owes me? How do you beat that?
I know several men in challenging conditions (one a Navy Chaplain with PTSD from Iraq), and we all have one thing in common – the gift from God we got as wives.
And God bless YOU, Curt, for not getting hung up on “macho” crap and admitting it in public. Well done, sir!
There IS strength in the sisterhood…in the commom place of women who feel, know and understand the places of your heart. There is strength in forgiveness and new life, new hope, healing, restoration and redemption in the Forgiver.
What a beautiful post~ So beautifully honest and inspirational
Thank you for sharing
~Stacy
Wow. What a blessing to have such close ties to the ladies in your family.
It is a blessing! Not only do I have such a wonderful group of women in my family, but I have a great support of women in my church family as well. I’m doubly blessed.
A blessed heritage of women indeed!
There is no greater legacy, than a legacy of faith…
“But the daily practice of forgiveness that takes a lifetime of faith to finish.” What a beautiful line. You do have such an amazing heritage!
Thank you for sharing your story at my blog! I loved hearing how God chose the right dog for you. He knows what’s best for us, doesn’t He?
Glad to have found a new sister!
Mel
Thanks Melanie! It was fun visiting all of the blogs today. I’m glad to have found a new sister in you as well. Let’s keep in touch.
Oh Kim….I love the tribute to the “Traveling Sisterhood of the Aunts”. I am so blessed to be a part of this sisterhood. As I looked around at each one of us as we toasted each other, I saw the same things in each one. The pain, sorrow, grief, and in that we all came together each time to be an encouragement to one another, to lift each other up when the other thought they could no longer keep their heads up. So much darkness in the past 4 years, but in that darkness the LIGHT in each one of my precious aunts, cousins, daughter, and granddaughters began to shine through. And, finally that LIGHT became bigger than the darkness, and once again JOY came in the morning. I so enjoyed my time with you my precious cousin. I love you more than you can ever know. And of course to the “Aunts” for whom the Aunt weekend revolves around, I love each one of you so very much, and a lot of who I am is because of who you all are.
This is lovely, cousin Sherrie! Amen to all of that!
Love the title of this! And your poem was beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! I was excited about my title, as well!
Wonderful post, truly amazing. God Bless you women! I enjoyed the photograph and the verse is timeless, speaking of the working of the Holy Spirit in you all.
Thanks Elizabeth! It’s fun to catch up with you!
Beautiful post…Yes our scabs…either we pick them back open…or others rubbing up against us opens them up…either way…we do keep walking toward forgiveness.
Thanks for stopping by…
Blessings~
Roseann-
Thanks for your kind and encouraging words!
Beautiful words about the strength and beauty in your family. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks! God has been faithful to walk through the storms with us.
what a awesome tribute to those wonderful women in your life and I might add your mom looks awesome she has not aged a bit…
She is a beauty! Thanks, friend.
Beautiful and inspiring. Lovely encouragement to continue to build a foundation of faith and forgiveness in my life and in the lives of my daughters.
Women are precious, aren’t they? We help each other truly live.
Beautiful picture. Looking at it, one can just imagine the strength they get from each other. Loved your words that went along with it. By the way, I invited you to take the Seven Links Challenge. Stop by my blog and read about it. Remember, it’s an invitation. You don’t have to accept.
I do accept! What fun! I like it when I can do a challenge without having to write something specific. How fun! Thanks.
Thank you for sharing this beauty of not just surviving, but of forgiveness.
When we fail to forgive, we are only surviving. When we determine to forgive we truly live!
this is so beautiful. and isn’t this what the journey is all about? walking together toward the forgiver? xo
“But the daily practice of forgiveness that takes a lifetime of faith to finish” I love that sentence. Sometimes it takes everyday faith to even forgive yourself.
Beautifully written post.
Thanks Love Dream Celebrate! I think it’s harder to forgive me than anyone else. I hope I can accomplish that before I die!!
This is wonderful and so beautiful!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Each has a story and each is on a journey.
Blessings,
Sarah
Thanks Sarah,
I hope you visit again, soon.
Kim
“But the daily practice of forgiveness that takes a lifetime of faith to finish.” – I love this line! It’s indeed a constant and daily decision to forgive – 70 x 7. 🙂 I love the poem, Ma’am.
Thank you! I’m glad you’ve stopped by!