TOTAL READ TIME: 2 Minutes
I did a doubletake when I saw an abominable snowman in front of my neighbor’s house. It was a Bumble, from the classic show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
It got me thinking about his character – the abominable snowman. His angry demeanor instantly transformed to a loveable teddy bear when Hermey, the main elf character-wannabe dentist, pulled out his teeth.
Bumble simply had a toothache. The pain had turned him into a monster.
That is the root of it all, right there.
I then thought about the many times I’ve been a Bumble with a toothache. My own pain bumbled and burst into behaviors like judgment, righteousness or inflated ego.
To make things worse, how many times have I judged others because of their actions – when in retrospect – they were just a Bumble with a toothache.
I can’t turn back time. Therefore, my choices are to either live in my inflammation, or make the more difficult choice: forgive myself.
This week, a friend taught me there are three phases of forgiveness:
- Phase 1: Forgive yourself
- Phase 2: Forgive the other person
- Phase 3: Send a prayer or wish to the other person, that they can forgive themself.
We are all walking Bumbles, carrying some version of a toothache. Just remember that you too are like Hermey. Instead of a dentistry bag, you have a more powerful toolkit, containing compassion, forgiveness and kindness. This trio is the best medicine – both for ourselves and those crying out their pain in our path.