I didn't mean to

Back several years one of Marge's friends asked her if she would temporarily keep two of her cats. Marge couldn't say no, so we ended up with two extra cats. We already had BB in the house, so now there are three of them little suckers. They would prowl all night and sleep during the day, so we either had to keep our bedroom door closed or forget sleep. We had to have the air circulate, so the door had to be open. So I built a screen door for our bedroom to keep the cats out. After several years Marge realized the cats were here to stay. Out the door two of them went. But the screen door stayed.

The other morning Marge got up to use the outhouse, and Grace woke up in her kennel so Marge took Grace out to potty. When Grace came back into the house she ran into our bedroom and jumped up on the bed scratching my arm. I have old thin skin like Mom had that scratches easy and bruises without hardly any bump, so as a result my arm was bruised and scratched and bleeding. I knew she did it by accident and Marge even said: "She didn't mean to hurt you." I knew this. But the 3-inch scratch was still there and bleeding.

But doesn't this happen to all of us? Something happens and hurts someone we love, and we honestly didn't mean for it to happen. Hurts come in all sizes and kinds from real physical hurts to mental ones. Some hurts seem to linger on and on and some we can dismiss right from the git go.

Maybe you didn't get to go to the prom back in high school? Maybe you weren't recognized scholastically when you should have been. Who knows! From the time I was little, I've always been able to catch a fish. It's like I kind of know inside me where to fish and how deep and what to use. Sometimes I wonder if it's because I practice fishing. I like to fish. Maybe it's because I read a lot. I don't know, but it seems like I can.

My brother in law Gary just couldn't. I might catch five to his one. So when we drove up to a lake I knew I was going to catch fish and Gary knew he wasn't. I think it hurt his feelings. I didn't mean to but it happened. One time Marge outshot me with an old .22 pistol we had. It bugged me. I wrote it off as an accident but still bugged me. It wouldn't have bothered me as much if she hadn't rubbed it in. She didn't mean to hurt my feelings but she did.

There are times when we might forget an anniversary or a birthday or the day we met or something. Maybe forgot to get that special treat while shopping at the grocery store. Maybe forgot doughnuts. Who knows but it happens. You walk out of church and get distracted and turn your shoulder to the pastor. You snubbed him or her! Didn't mean to. You get a small bite of everything at the church carry-in dinner, but that one dish you missed by mistake. The cook who brought it noticed and is hurt.

No matter how perfect your world is there are going to be times when someone will bruise your ego or your feelings or your pride or whatever. It's just going to happen. So now we can make an issue out of the mistake, or we can suck it up and forgive and forget. A friend of mine years ago said to "act and don't react." Don't react to the mistake but act instead. Choose to forgive and forget. Pray for a resolution, to forgive and move on. A lady preacher we had years ago said that at times a bird might decide to make a nest in our hair, but we can decide not to let it.

Hard part is it's easier said than done!