Bury the Hatchet

While I was in the tanning bed yesterday, I was listening to a CD on relationships...and the speaker happened to be talking about forgiveness. He gave some pretty profound examples of hurtful things people do to each other...then talked about "burying the hatchet". I did not know the history behind that phrase until he explained: Back in the days when a hatchet was a weapon of war, when two parties came together and wanted to make peace with each other, they took a hatchet, put their mark on it and buried it in the ground. They did not forget, however, where the hatchet was buried. After the hatchet was buried, the issue or fight was not allowed to be mentioned again unless the hatchet was unearthed by the parties that buried it. I like that example of forgiveness quite a lot. :) Perhaps when I bury a hatchet, it should be in a place that's pretty hard to get to....so I have to decide if it's really worth the trouble to go and dig it up again.

The speaker also made a comment that sometimes one party does not want to bury the hatchet when the other one does. He said that if you want to bury your figurative hatchet, sign your name and the other person's name and go bury it yourself. We don't have to wait for permission to give forgiveness or apology.

I love these two pictures below of two of the cutest nephews ever. :) My heart is softened just by looking at the expression on Tay's face as he gives his love so openly without asking for anything back. He is happy simply to give this hug away. May I remember his example as I go through this day.