THE POWER OF SORRY

     Here is the story of a young boy who stopped talking to his father at a very tender age of 20. Who was always about violent on him and his mother.
''I ran out of the house when I was 20 years old. My mum was always the victim of his assaults. I tried rescuing my mum from his beatings but it never worked out. Few years after I ran out, I got a call from a hospital that my mum was hospitalized and diagnosed with ruptured kidney. I was given the address of the hospital and I went to see my mum. I got there and I saw my mum on the hospital bed, helpless, depressed and at the point of death. I couldn't hold my tears, I went to see the doctor who was in charge of her for more information about her health. The doctor told me to pay a huge sum of money for a kidney transplant and the surgery will be done in Germany. Thank God I was able to save some because I got a good job after I left the house. I took all my savings and paid the necessary dues for the surgery.
      After few months in Germany, we came back to Nigeria (I had to go with her). All this while, my dad never showed up. My mum always wished he was around. I was angry at her for still loving the same man that almost killed her.....the power of Love though. Few weeks after we got back, my mum got a call from a hospital in Lagos State (a state in Nigeria) that my dad was hospitalized for some days and his next of kin is my mum. We got the address of the hospital and we got there the next day.        Thank God we saw the doctor that called when we got there. He told us my dad has been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disease of the central nervous system. It causes problems with body motions, including: Tremor (shakiness), Rigidity (muscle stiffness), Slowed body movements, Unstable posture and Difficulty walking. The doctor took us to where my dad was laying down, my emotional mum couldn't hold back those tears. She quickly held his hands, telling him everything will be fine. My dad opened his eyes and without wasting much time, he pleaded for her forgiveness after everything he has done for her. My Mum, not thinking much told him he's been forgiven. I couldn't hold back my anger and hatred I had for him. He almost held my hand when I left the hospital room because I knew he wanted to ask for my forgiveness. I waited for my Mum at the reception still angry and sad about everything. She came to meet me after she was done with him and told me I shouldn't have done that to him...I still declined to her advice.
         I went to the hospital everyday to give him food and all the necessary things needed. There was never a day I was there and I always wanted to tell him ''I was sorry and he's been forgiven'', but my pride didn't allow me to. And on the fateful day, I went to the hospital has I always did and I was told my dad is GONE......I mean DEAD. I couldn't cry because I didn't know where to start from.
        At the funeral, I remembered putting my hands on his feet one last time and closed my eyes. I dropped few unseen tears which nobody could have noticed and those drops said a lot....''Dad, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that to you''.
     
         You never know how long people are with us and you cannot take a chance to mess up with the most amazing experience of love just because something happened. Always remember that ''Forgiveness is the foundation of a meaningful, deep and true relationship. To let go if someone has hurt us and to say SORRY if we have hurt somebody and letting things go is what makes a relationship profound and strong.
       Sorry is a sign of strength. It is an act of generosity and an expression of hope for a fallen relationship. It is an act of bravery. Saying sorry doesn't mean you are wrong. It just means that you value the person and the relationship more than being right.