Global Forgiveness Day – What it Means to Seniors and their Families

Global Forgiveness Day, July 7, began with a Canadian based philanthropic organization, CECA, whose mission is to address local, national and global needs for forgiveness and whose mission can be applied to most people on a personal level. The organization has its own mediation center, where disparate groups meet to hear each other and to come together even when they disagree. Behind the philosophy of mediation is the recognition that disagreements often lead to name-calling and other hurtful and excluding behaviors.

Examples of excluding behaviors are easy to find. Many families speak of ‘a black sheep,’ of one who seems misplaced in the family unit.  Whole groups of people are victims of stereotyping and denied the full benefits of societal living. The list is endless, stretching from the extremely personal to impersonal.  It occurs on every level of life. This hurtful behavior makes relating to the ‘other’ difficult, if not impossible.  

For any meaningful relationship or dialogue to occur, forgiveness is needed.Inevitably the first step in mending a relationship happens when one or both parties share and seek forgiveness for the hurt their behavior has caused. Older adults need to seek and to offer forgiveness. Often lumped into a category called “old,” along with suppositions learned from cultural conditioning, they feel unnecessary. Older adults may be seen as less capable than younger people, despite evidence to the contrary and feel devalued. They are often dismissed as irrelevant because of their age. The feeling of being undervalued can cause strain on interpersonal relationships. An open dialog between older adults and their family members and friends can go a long way toward mending relationships. Older adults heal and grow best when they acknowledge how they have been hurt and how they may have hurt others.   

As we look at the brokenness of our world wondering how we got where we are and how we might make things better, a simple suggestion is made; begin by looking at ourselves; give up judging others before taking a look in the mirror. Things change when we change; when we see our own limitations and need to seek and to offer forgiveness. Forgiveness is important to our sense of wellbeing, no matter what our age. Take an opportunity today to reflect and begin to mend relationships with those you care about.