On November 14, Tuniscia Okeke spoke to the Umoja writing group about the power of forgiveness, self-doubt, and anxiety. Students from Fargo North and Davies were invited to hear what she had to say. Here some highlights on the tips Mrs. T presented:
- Expect to be respected
- Expect people to see the best in you
- No one is coming to save you (it’s your responsibility to be who you want to be)
- You can do everything with you!
- Be who you want to be
How do you forgive others, then? You cant forgive others if you cant forgive yourself first because you are your first priority! You cant change what others do but you can change yourself:
- We’re all good people with bad habits
- Forgiveness is the beginning of your healing journey
- If someone says something bad about you, does it hurt because they said something bad or does it hurt because you believe what they say?
On forgiving someone who doesn’t apologize:
- Forgive yourself
- Remind yourself that it’s not your fault
- It is your responsibility to clean it up
- Don’t let people minimize your feelings
Mrs. T’s speech influences everyone in that room with a message that talks about how forgiveness is a hard process but it takes slow steps.
