Anger Makes You Smaller

"Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.”
Cherie Carter-Scott

I went through a long period of being angry when my marriage dissolved. I was mad at my then husband for breaking the "rules". He was supposed to stay with me til death do us part. He was supposed to help me raise our kids full time. He was supposed to be my confidante. He was supposed to be next to me when our daughter got married; when our son had his first child. I was more than angry.

Then something inexplicable happened. I forgave him. I don't know when it happened. All I know is that one day I realized it HAD happened. I realized that I was happy. I felt good about myself and who I was. A huge part of that was because I was no longer angry.

Being angry did make me smaller. It limited me. I was putting a lot of time and effort into being angry. That time and energy is now being used to make my life and the lives of those around me a little better. And I think it shows.