<b>By Mayah Hawthorne</b>

<i>“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” — Louis B. Smedes</i>

Forgiveness is something that a lot of people have a hard time doing. But, if you think about it, you’re not hurting the person you’re not forgiving, you’re really hurting yourself.

[caption id="attachment_15719" align="alignleft" width="225"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Mayah-column-mug.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-15719" alt="Mayah Hawthorne" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Mayah-column-mug-225x300.jpg" width="225" height="300" /></a> Mayah Hawthorne[/caption]

Spending so much time trying to remember to stay mad at a person who hurt you or wronged you can be exhausting. Really, let’s be honest, who wants to go their whole life staying mad at a person? Family, friends, strangers are all people you can stay your mad at, but inside if you want to forgive, you want to be OK with that person, why fight it, why be upset? So you hurt the other person’s feelings? You’re the one who’s hurt, that is why you won’t forgive. When you are truly able to forgive, you should not do it for anyone else except for yourself, because forgiveness only helps you! When you let your anger go, you are free again.

<i>Mayah Hawthorne is a sophomore at Battery Creek High School.</i>
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