My father was killed by a car while riding his bicycle, his passion. Nino Oliver halted all pending legal proceedings against the other person and submitted a letter to the courts stating his wish to forgive the person who killed his father. This led to the creation of the Marcelino Oliver Foundation, so that everyone could learn about the benefits of forgiveness.
Christmas is a time of year conducive to talking about forgiveness. No one talks about forgiving; on the contrary, we hear about demands, about holding grudges against others simply for supporting different football teams. It's frightening to watch the news with all the evil that's happening. We get angry over politics, going to war with friends and family. We're living in a chaos of hatred in a life we only live once. We're unable to rein ourselves in, which prevents us from experiencing the benefits of forgiveness. We spend our lives waiting for others to apologize. We don't have to wait for them to come and ask for forgiveness. We can be proactive and take the first step, even when we feel we weren't the cause of the fight or misunderstanding. Of course, letting go of pride isn't easy, but experiencing the gift of forgiveness toward someone we normally hate is undoubtedly a way to unload that heavy burden you carry on your shoulders.
Forgiveness is the perfect and fundamental tool to bring about the changes we need in ourselves and in our relationships with others. The moment we forgive, we let go of toxic emotions that keep us distant from others. Any grudge, resentment, anger, or resentment we may have felt toward the other person disappears, dissipates, leaving an open space to share moments with them again.