Finding Freedom In Forgiveness

Jennifer Thompson - Cannino: I believe forgiveness - ability to release people from anger and hate place to a peaceful place

Ronald Cotton: I also believe in the power of forgiveness healing. I was imprisoned by an angry person and I was very happy. But that sentiment made me a prisoner of my private prison. I give up hatred, I need to forgive and forgive.

Jennifer: I chose Ronald as a man who raped me, but 11 years later, I noticed that I made a mistake. That is unbearable. In my opinion, Ronald is a monster. In 365 days and 11 years, I prayed for his death. Finding the truth made me feel overwhelmed by guilt and shame as I erroneously put an innocent person in jail. At the same time, guilty still has to commit further crimes against women. I think it almost impossible to forgive ourselves.

Ronald: Please allow Jennifer to highlight this lineup as her rapists spent less time than they thought. I know that she is a victim and hurt a real bad guy. But I also got hurt. I miss my family, lover, and freedom. But I know who I am, I am not a monster. I know who did this to Jennifer, he went to his grave and declined me to jail without admitting what he did. It is difficult to relinquish my anger, but spending freely in my mind is a choice I can do.

Jennifer: I asked Ron if he could forgive me. He pitied his hands all over the world, started crying, and told me he had forgiven me long ago. At that moment I began to heal. Ronald taught me how to get rid of all the pain; that night his forgiveness made me free. Without Ronald, I will still be bound at that moment, that will always have me. I soon realized that I could even forgive the man I raped.

Ronald: Jennifer and I are friends. Some people do not understand. However, we are the same unfair victim of the same person, which gives us a common foothold. Together we will help each other by sharing experience. I can choose the bitterness; I can hate the prison guards and the system. But I chose to forgive them all, so I can stay free and be a prisoner for the rest of my life.

Jay Allison and Dan Gediman, and All Things independently created by John Gregory and Viki Merrick. NPR Editor: Alan Silva. With the help of Greg Dixon

Forgiveness is difficult as I said before! However, freedom to forgive criminals is precious. If you forgive, you will find that you experience a richer, more intimate relationship. Because of lack of forgiveness, you also begin to heal some of the deep-seated damage to your family. Follow the steps today to forgive those who hurt you in the past. You may need to go back to your childhood and know where your pain begins. But do anything to start the forgiveness process. This will not happen overnight, but if you keep working hard, that will happen. Forgiveness is really a gift that is really given!

One of the hardest questions people ask me is how to forgive someone. Forgiveness is a journey, because they do not do the same, it is difficult to answer. In many cases people are aware that they are in forgiveness and do not know exactly when or how they will occur. I do not know you, but when someone is really angry and announces forgiveness soon I am very skeptical. I think it will take some time to understand what is going on. Another reason that is a difficult problem to forgive is that people sometimes are heavily infringed by others and forgiveness seems not to be worth it. This is not the right thing, especially if this person has never regretted it. People may feel that forgiveness is communicating what is happening. It is effective to feel forgiveness helps tell criminals that value is not worth. That is why I will not talk about forgiveness anymore. I think I sent a wrong message. I talked about seeking peace.