Aparna

“Happy as a Dog's Tail

Happy as something unimportant
and free as a thing unimportant.
As something no one prizes
and which does not prize itself.
As something mocked by all
and which mocks at their mockery.
As laughter without serious reason.
As a yell able to outyell itself.
Happy as no matter what,
as any no matter what.

Happy
as a dog’s tail.”
― Anna Świrszczyńska

“Few things make us as vulnerable as admitting our mistakes, especially to someone we have every reason to think will be angry at us or, even worse, unreceptive or shut down. When we ask for forgiveness, there’s no place for defenses, for justifications. We have to make ourselves naked. At the same time, to forgive is an act of faith and trust. There’s little reason to expect that the transgression won’t happen again; once someone crosses a line, what’s the guarantee they won’t again? We live in a culture of avoidance; few of us have had models of forgiveness or were taught that feeling vulnerable and taking risks is a necessary part of intimacy. So, instead, we seek a kind of cheap grace.”
― Linda Loewenthal, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life

“The ultimate relationship, we can’t help but think, is one in which forgiveness is easy, free-flowing, and immediate; where it requires little or no effort from either party, even when the hurt may be deep.”
― Linda Loewenthal, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life

“Our most loving relationships are those in which we say “sorry” continuously. Forgiveness is central to the workings of love. If we’re not seeking and receiving, being asked for and granting forgiveness on a regular basis, it’s most likely that our relationship is not as intimate, dynamic, or alive as we think it is.”
― Linda Loewenthal, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life