Reflect... and suddenly you are clearing the smoky mirror.
My sister, Toni, recently confessed to me the previous posting on forgiveness inspired her to “come out” with her own story. Several years ago, while directing a play out on the east end of Long Island, she was assaulted by an actor she had hired for the lead male role. The attack came about suddenly and without warning just prior to the opening night performance. The young man came at her so swiftly and calmly; she had no time to dodge his first punch, or his second, or third, or fourth… leaving her barely conscious, and one blow away from dead.
I have witnessed her over the past three years, reconstruct her self confidence, physical strength, self esteem, speech, memory capacity – in short, her life - with such integrity and courage, that I can’t help sharing it with you.
Toni is a mom, a wife, an actor, director, writer and PR guru, and most recently, a V-blogger – the same as a regular blogger, but with video. So, in mastering this new medium, she decided to use it to speak out (quite courageously, I might add) about the subject of forgiveness and how she found it in her heart to absolve this troubled man of his heinous act.
As I watched her speak so openly, I felt as though a fog was lifting, clearing the vista for a deeper truth to emerge. One that speaks of heart connections and compassion, substituting the concept of “evil” for “deeply wounded” – something a lot of us have trouble getting our heads around. And, what I began to see was a woman reflecting on the darkest of dark, owning it and making peace with it – truthfully and completely.
Toni, you are an inspiration! Keep blogging:
http://www.livevideo.com/video/67C4336A93F94D58B09848050429C1EC/assault-and-forgiveness.aspx?lastvcid=30429
Peace!
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3 comments:
wow, amazing. I know Toni, and I had heard the story, but to hear her tell it to the world... She talks about forgiveness, an interesting concept. I have some wild ideas about it myself. Not traditional at all. In a nut shell, what if we don't need to forgive? What if the concept itself implies an untruth? Okay, don't get me started, because then I'll move on to the concept of trust. (Could it be outdated?) In any event, to hear her forgiveness, and to know it was easy for her somehow, is to point to something bigger I think. Thanks Lady Guru for sharing... Toni is a sister to all of us now! Love, Robim
Hi...this is the sister. :) I just wanted to say thank you for this post, and that YOU have been an inspiration to me for quite some time now. I've learned a lot from you. And Robin, I think I get it about not needing to forgive. I think. But really, I just wanted to say that it's always been the sisters in my life that have made my journey a progression forward...forward MOST of the time, that is. :) Love & peace, Toni
This post actually kept me tossing and turning in my sleep last evening. I am sorry Toni experienced such a horrible act. I had a post about forgiveness. Then I read Robins post. A different perspective. Forgiveness and TRUST. What a different experience for each of us. Life is such a journey within ourselves.
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