By Cat Borg 
I let the anger consume me. It’s happened before. I was hurt, and it was real, but I fed it. My heartbreak was raw, and it caused me pain. There is nothing imagined about the way I was treated, the hurt I felt, or the actions of others. But I fed it.
I had a choice. I always have a choice. Anger is an emotion, and I have learned to accept that when it occurs, it’s not only natural but it’s also valid. The problem I have is that I can hold onto it for far too long.
In my head, the actions of others can carry on much longer than necessary. People say or do something wrong (wrong in my eyes), something I feel is unacceptable, yet once the act is over, they just carry on living their lives, unaware that I’m reliving what happened over and over in my head.
They may feel bad about what they did to me or they may not, but the truth is I really don’t know. Why do I let these fictitious thoughts and feelings dominate my mind and build them up to be much worse than they are?
My family loses me. They lose me to my bitterness. I am so furious about an action that was totally out of my control, something I couldn’t change if I wanted to, that they are fighting against these thoughts to be seen and heard. It’s not fair. My children deserve better. I feel I’ve been treated unjustly, and I yearn for it to be put right but dwelling on it won’t fix anything.
So I have to fight. I have to defend myself against the thoughts that tell me to stay angry. It’s easy to stay angry, easy to play the victim, so I have to find strength.
I have a choice. I can look at those who hurt me with compassion, I can look at them with forgiveness. I can look around at my own life and know how blessed I am. Once I am in that place, I feel much, much lighter. I’m happier and more joyful—it’s a beautiful place to be. And I can concentrate on my actions and not the actions of others.
Anger is real. My pain is real. But it lingers as long as I let it. If I house it and feed it and hold onto it, nothing changes regarding the situation, but I’m in a much darker place.
Letting go is often hard when I’m annoyed, when I want justice, but once I do release it—release them—I find myself more present, more grateful, and more free. And that’s what my family deserves. That’s what I deserve.
It’s the positive emotion I have to feed. It can take enormous effort when your heart is sad, to let go, to forgive. But ultimately, keeping hold of it only ends up hurting you.
I am working on letting it go. I can acknowledge the hurt, process it, then I have to release it. I don’t always get it right, but I am trying. I am trying for the sake of my family. For the sake of my heart. I wish to forgive. I wish to be free of resentment and bitterness. I wish to choose joy!
by Kelly Gawitt 
by Jelise Ballon 
by Daniela Bratu 
