“Why Forgive?”

BY: Nevaeh Mackerley

11/5 the 8th graders had the pleasure to sit through an assembly on Breaking the Cycle. This assembly left me with many things I would like to share. Everyone has a story, some good and bad things we need to be forgiven no matter what they did. I understand you'll never forget but yes maybe forgiving could save your life or save someone else's life. Even if you don't know that person, forgiving could be everything to one and no matter what it could be terrible.  I wanna quote this person while reading. A while ago I stumbled upon this quote that I was in fact thinking about at the time they mentioned this. "Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude." - Martin Luther King, Jr. If you forgive someone it can stick with you forever even if you don't say it out loud. 

It left me with many questions for myself and many feelings. I will NEVER EVER and when I say never I mean never look at my classmates the same way I did after that assembly. I took a look for any signs because no matter how happy one may seem there could be something happening on the inside, something eating them alive. Even the adults out there read the signs kids are giving to you no matter how little things can be they can get bigger. To the kids if you feel any sort of negative way, speak up, say something because it can save your life. If your friend seems off, tell someone to save there life no matter how mad they seem. “We should never judge a day by its weather.”-Dick Van Dyke. This quote shows never judging someone on the cover. Take a look on the inside. The day could be dark and gloomy but inside you could have sun and rainbows. 

I also realized you need to forgive yourself for some things, maybe the mean comment on a post or something rude we have done because that will haunt us and if you hold it. Even if you're sitting in bed one night you realize I need to forgive me for what I have done to me. “Forgiveness does not change the past but it does change the future.”— Paul Lewis Boese. This quote shows that you can't change the past with sorry, nothing can undo what you did but if you forgive yourself it can change that future.

We heard two stories and both will stick with me forever. Both topics are hard addiction and suicide. Both thousands of kids and adults go through everyday but no one will ever know the true story of what happens inside there mind or the closed doors of there homes. YOU  WILL NEVER EVER HEAR SOMEONES FULL STORY. People hide  things from the people they love the most. The stories I heard today will stick with me forever. Everyone has there own fights, look for them. 

This assembly will be in my heart and my brain for a while. Next time something happens forgive yourself forgive the person who hurt you. I understand you'll never forget but forgive. Forgiveness could be used in many of our lives. I heard this today by one of our guest speakers. Instead of saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me we should be saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words do hurt. This quote was in my head because words do hurt; they hurt everything you say to someone. With this I leave you to forgive and never forget. Never ask yourself why you forgive . Stand up and forgive. You'll never know what forgiving can do to you or the person you're forgiving.. STAND UP, TELL,REACH OUT, FORGIVE and most important NEVER FORGET. Tell your story to stand out . BE YOU!

The book “Why Forgive”-Tell the stories of these people

Visit there website  - breakingthecycle.com 

Remember you matter, forgive yourself and others and stand up and stand tall.