The worth of an apology..

I went brawling with fate, yet again, last week. I nearly ditched my professional life into sticky situation that (as most of my colleagues would say, was avoidable) trampled my boss's trust and confidence in me. I nearly lost it when all the actions I've taken in the name of improving the overall discipline among my pupils were taken as hostile. What good am I as a disciplinary teacher if I could not carry out my duties? Heck, there was two or three circulars from the Ministry supporting my actions but as we all know, parents will be parents (sigh)

I was immediately in the line of indictment when I solemnly executed my punishment to that particular hooligan (my HM said it was all within regulations). I was bounded by that fact, but however, unknowingly, the punishment I gave resulted with some troubling marks and bruises (which really made the boy's parents unhappy)
God, only God knew how intimidating it was when you were told that the father would pursue this matter to the Ministry. I was all prepared to make myself clear with the decision I made, in justification with the boy's deliberate characterization which was against the school regulations. Then, it struck me; why not apologize?
I knew that my school would back me up, but clearly, an apology was all I need to clear things out of my throat and my messed up mind.

Betrayal, aggression, and just plain insensitivity: People can hurt us in a million ways, and forgiveness isn’t always easy. Whether you’ve been cut off in traffic, slighted by your mother-in-law, betrayed by a spouse, or badmouthed by a co-worker, most of us are faced with a variety of situations that we can choose to ruminate over or forgive. But forgiveness, like so many things in life, is easier said than done.
Forgiveness can be a challenge for several reasons. Sometimes forgiveness can be confused with condoning what someone has done to us: “That’s OK. Why not do it again?” Forgiveness can be difficult when the person who wronged us doesn’t seem to deserve our forgiveness -- it’s hard to remember that forgiveness benefits the forgiver more than the one who is forgiven. Ultimately, forgiveness is especially challenging because it’s hard to let go of what’s happened. However, it’s important to let go and forgive.

So, to sum it up, forgiveness is good for your body, your relationships, and your place in the world. That’s reason enough to convince virtually anyone to do the work of letting go of anger and working on forgiveness.

So I did. I visited the boy's home, talked with his mother and asked for an apology, and personally, forgave what ever his son did prior to the incident. Life. It was never unforgiving...