Image: Nina Bisognani
Reconciliation
Forgiveness is a process. It began for me one year during Lent. I was reminded of the broken relationship between my older sister and me. When we were children, I thought she was a bad seed. She called me a spoiled brat. Sometimes we exchanged hurtful words and actions. There were feelings of anger, resentment, and jealousy
between us. As time passed, we dealt with our differences by avoiding each other.
One Sunday, I noticed her at church, sitting across the isle from me. Though usually well dressed, she looked disheveled. Her hair was not combed and her once favorite sweater was covered with pills. Through God’s grace, I felt her sorrow. When time came for sharing the PEACE, I crossed the aisle and gave her a hug. She was surprised; uncomfortable at first, but agreed to sit with me for the rest of the service. At the time, this was a tiny step forward -the beginning of reconciliation.
We began to telephone each other. She forgave me for eating peanuts she said our
mother had given her. I forgave her for being mean to me. With God’s help, we took
small steps toward restoring our relationship. It was a two-person process.
Two years later, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. I helped her through that
difficult time. We sometimes joked about old memories. She shared food with me
and allowed me to comb her hair. I knew she was going through hellish times, but at least we were together. God was with us throughout the journey.
My last words to her were, “I love you.” She replied, “I love you too, a lot!” We were sisters again, with full hearts. She remains in my prayers.
Nina Bisognani