 |
| Teacher Angeline on the right, receiving a Certificate of Achievement for being a finalist during R.E.A.L's CPCD (Continuous Personal & Career Development) Contest 2015 (16-20 Nov 2015). |
Every individual
undergoes different types of stress. Be it students in college, women at home,
people in the workplace, all experienced stress. Some could overcome stress,
while others are not able to. If we are not attached to these negative thoughts
and could think positively, we are able to manage our stress.
Today, I will
share with you about my life experience. How I learned to forgive and forget. It
was unplanned for that I was offered a job by my uncle at Kundang Jaya in
Rawang. Quite a big shift for me and my family had to move from Penang to Kuala
Lumpur that time.
My uncle
owned a bottling factory and I was tasked to work there as a Production
Supervisor. My job scope was to ensure smooth operation of the production line.
That time, I was working under a couple who were related to my uncle’s wife. For
the first few months, the transition was smooth until my uncle was diagnosed with
a tumor in his brain by a neurology doctor. He was advised to undergo a major
operation.
During the
course of his surgery, this couple started to give me a hard time. They found
ways just to get me out. I tolerated because I promised myself that once I was
there, I had to work hard and whole heartedly. But they kept pressuring me and
the saddest part was that they accused me for things I did not do. I realized I’d
been victimized. But what could I do? I could not tell my uncle. I was much stressed
up, sad and angry at the same time. At last, I decided to leave.
Unfortunately
I left with anger and was very resentful. I harbored hatred and grudge to this
couple for doing wrong to me. When I was at the verge of depression, by
coincidence, I met my mom’s best friend, who came and visited us. She is a very
kind and caring woman. We chatted and I related the whole scenario to her. She said,
“let go and forgive.” If you happen to meet them one day, just approach them
and say “hello”. Afterall they are your relative.
No! I said, I can’t and will never forgive
them. Forgiveness was not an option for me that very moment. The anger was
still boiling within my heart. I spent sleepless nights asking myself, can I really
“let go and forgive them”? This continued until I calmed down, my conscience
told me I have to. It is all about whether I can let go and forgive them or
harbor anger and resentment for the rest of my life. It is a choice I have to
make.
Then one day, I met this couple at a
restaurant. They saw me and so do I. At that moment, my conscience told me that
I have to approach them and say “hello”. You have to in order to relieve
yourself of anger and resentment. So I picked
up my courage, walked straight up to them, said hello and shook their hands. To
my surprise, they hugged me. At that instance, I have set myself free from
anger and hatred. It does not matter anymore how much wrong they have done to
me. I want to move on and I have conquered the impossible of letting go and
forgiving them. Every one of us is
gifted with a conscience to forgive. Once it manifests, it is time to let go
and to forgive.
To me, the word “forget” means to totally erase
off the said memory and to “forgive” means to genuinely keep no hatred and no
grudge. Similar to my case, we will have to go through a period of anger and
resentment to get to forgiveness. I know it is not easy but it is not
impossible. Thank you.
Written and
presented by Teacher Angeline Chang from R.E.A.L Kids Kemuning Greenhill.
