I think that it is important to start our by saying that the phrase "forgive and forget" is stupid. Learning to forgive is a process that takes a lot of time, and in order to do so I believe that we must realize that we will never forget. When I was younger I was dealt a difficult set of cards. My parents divorced when I was young and at times I felt alone. I helped raise my little brother when times got tough for my mom. From hardly seeing my dad, to hoping that my mom found Mr. Right, I was willing to accept any man that walked into our lives as long as he made my mommy happy.

I don't intend on telling you my life story, but lets just say that from watching people I love being broken and beaten down by hatred, drugs, and alcohol I had to find it in my heart to forgive. Fo a long period of time I was angry at God, I was angry at my mom, my dad, my stepdad, my situation, and even myself. I was mad that God had let all of this awful stuff happen to me. I was mad that I didn't prevent it and I was mad that the people who I loved and who loved me had not fought to make things better.

For years I had kept my mouth shut trying to bottle up all the anger that had been building up since I was 8 years old. For years I had worn a mask, wearing a fake smile so no one would know how bad I hurt. Then one day, I broke, I released my anger and I gave my life to the Lord, and I can honestly say that was the greatest day of my life.

I know that many of us have been placed in situations similar to mine. You have felt as you are suffocating in a world of darkness, and I want to tell you that you will continue to feel that way unless you release the hate you have been holding on to. Of course, this is easier said then done, but I am here to tell you that it is possible. So here is what I did,

Every day I woke up and I gave the hard feelings I felt to the Lord and soon enough he began to soften my heart. Each day I would place myself in someone else's shoes whether it be my stepfathers or a little girl in Africa's. By doing this, I was able to look at hardships from a different angle. With time, I was able to see that the Lord placed me into this situation to make me the person I am today, and every day I had to tell myself that there was no changing the past, because the Lord gave me my past to build up my future.

By releasing my anger in the form of love, I was able to turn pain into something beautiful. I now see that life is hard and that sometimes people take the wrong turn, but that does not make them bad people. Like me, the Lord has given them their past and present in order to create their future. By forgiving, I am now free of darkness and I am free to hate. With that being said, we will never forget. And honestly not forgetting is a beautiful thing, it allows us to see how far you and your loved ones have come, it shows us that the Lord has a beautiful plan for our life and that each moment in time has a meaning and a purpose in God's ultimate plan.