Easter

"I Know That My Redeemer Lives" is one of my favorite hymns. I was watching this video today, and I realized that this year, this Easter, the sacrifice that Christ made for us through the Atonement has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I think I have finally reached the point where I understand what it feels like to forgive oneself. Not an easy feat, and not something I am sure I will be able to say I have totally accomplished in this life. However, I feel pretty at peace with who I am right now, and I assure you that that is saying a lot. I am in no way perfect, and I make mistakes daily, but the person I am today is much better than the person I was two months, six months, a year, or five years ago. Isn't that the goal? To get better with age?
I also am beginning to understand how the Atonement works to heal a person's heart and help them forgive. Forgiveness isn't an option, it is a commandment. I learned a long time ago that forgiving a person doesn't necessarily mean that they still have to be a part of your life. It is okay to forgive someone and let them go. Now I am learning how to forgive the person I love the most and preparing myself to move forward with that person. Somewhere in there, I am forcefully being taught patience as well, but I don't think that is a lesson anyone learns willingly.
I have heard time and time again that Christ will heal our hearts, and I always believed it. Here's the thing...He really, really will. This doesn't mean that I don't or won't have angry days, that I won't ever be upset or hurt by the events that unfold in my life--now or in the future. On the contrary. It is important to feel those feelings and sometimes express them. Then you can let them go, and I need to let them go. Until I do, I can't move forward, and I desperately need to move forward! I don't want to be stuck in this place forever. It is often dark here, and I am afraid of the dark places.
As always, I am grateful for my beautiful Q and also for our soon-to-be T. She/They keep me going and make life livable!