by: Amie Greenberg JD, MBA
She could have never imagined the far reaching implications of her divorce until her former father-in-law passed away.
Although family relationships changed, it didn’t change her sympathy nor the empathy for the loss the children would feel. There were hurt feelings on all sides. Although time made things more palatable and manageable, a sense of forgiveness was not practiced. She was not welcome at the funeral. How could she have known that a few weeks before would be the last time she would see him?
How could she explain to her children that she was not welcome at the funeral? There was a sense of sadness for time lost and for not making amends. There is a lesson. To teach our children to practice forgiveness. Forgiving others gives ourselves peace and the ability to move forward. Children learn how to forgive and have a sense of peace within when they see their parents practicing forgiveness. Holding on to anger, hurt feelings and resentment in a divorce is a waste of time and energy.
Surrender to practicing forgiveness. Learn to live with peace, compassion and love. This is what we can teach our children. This is the lesson. Martin Luther King once said, “forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
Amie Greenberg, JD, MBA has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Pitzer College. She has a JD from the University of La Verne, College of Law and an MBA from the University of La Verne College of Business and Public Management. She now practices family law in Beverly Hills, California.
Amie and her mother Barbara Greenberg, MD, authored "I Am Divorced … But I’m Still Me” books after personally and professionally experiencing the impact of divorce. They recognized a need to acknowledge how children viewed their world before, during and after divorce. Their hope is to help other families who are going through the pain of divorce. You can contact Amie for legal services at http://www.amiegreenberglaw.com. Follow her on FB at http://tinyurl.com/buwe2gk, http://tinyurl.com/bodu2b2 and Twitter@4childofdivorce. Amie is a contributing expert at Divorce Support Center and their Director of Community Outreach with her blog Divorce Corner™. Amie also contributes as an advisory board member of Divorce Support Center. More information about the authors, their books, and their blog is available at http://www.AChildsViewofDivorce.com.