[BonBon]

Oh, I don't think its inappropriate to tie in some of these really good qualities at all as they can all relate to one another.  Now mastering them all is another story...lol!  I'm good at one, not at the other...as is pretty obvious from all my posts I'm sure...lol.

That's great that you are doing that with your kids.  My siblings children are great kids in most ways but they do tend to lack the gratitude thing which amazes me since it was so often talked about with my FOO.  The kids rarely send "thank you's" nor even say thank you when you see them after giving them a gift.  I blame their parents...there aren't many kids around who will willingly write a thank you note so its up to the parents to make sure these things are done in some way.  Its interesting...

Now forgiveness?  Not something that was talked about much in my household.  We went to church every Sunday so maybe my parents figured the subject was covered there.  Who knows. 

I'm glad to hear another MLCer admit the same thing.  My husband has said it often, even while in deep replay.  That's one of the few sane things to come out of his mouth in that period.     But it also gave me hope to hear it...to know that somewhere in that replaying mind was a sane person who deep down inside knew what he had. 

[Trustandlove]

Thanks, Bon...

but just to clarify, my H hadn't really admitted that he was having an MLC; during that conversation he did use the phrase in a jokey way, which is the closest he came to it.   While saying something about something he was worried about, he made a reference to what the previous generation might have worried about, which of course was food and shelter, given that they had the spectre of war in their background....

This was a couple of years ago, and my H isn't any closer to coming out of the tunnel, really.  Perhaps he was closer then, actually. 

But the idea of gratitude, and forgiveness, still applies, regardless.

x

[BonBon]

T&L,
Even as a hint or joke, that seems to me some clarity is tucked away in his head. And that can only be a good thing in the long run.

Hang in there!

[ece711]

I believe that eventually, whether we notice it or not, that true forgiveness will happen... it could be by words, or by our actions.  Even if we think of ourselves as the type that couldn't do it.  Time is what's going to make this possible.  The Pure Essence of Forgiveness comes from the heart and mind, it is not done out of obligation, or fear.  Religion, the law of the land, or society can only show us the right thing to do but in the end, every individual will feel when true forgiveness occurs.