This is not my talent! It's been almost two months since I last wrote. Thoughts on my mind today revolve around forgiveness. There are so many posts on Facebook and Pinterest about forgiveness as we start a new year. I believe that forgiveness is essential. My actions regarding forgiveness may look different than others but it is still there. The last two years have been inundated with circumstances where I had to find forgiveness for people. "Let go and Let God" have been a mainstay in my life. It's a shame that people continue to take advantage of others. Forgiveness does not mean you don't stand up for yourself. It's ok to stand up for yourself! Recently I saw a clip of a video of Madea and it was perfect! I'm trying to copy a link from YouTube: "> The character Madea expresses exactly what I feel and it took a long time for me to learn it. Some have questioned me as to why some people are no longer in my life. It's not because I haven't forgiven those people. It's because I love myself. It has taken a long time to get here but I am important too! I don't need anyone in my life that chooses to take advantage of me repeatedly - this is toxic. I have been to counseling and have been working on myself. I choose my personal boundaries. It's important to remember that forgiveness is critical for peace; however, you do not have to continually put yourself at risk with the person in the forgiveness. If the relationship is toxic, remove the relationship. Find forgiveness to move forward emotionally but you don't have to continually put yourself at risk. Continually at risk means that the toxic behavior has happened more than once; It is a behavior pattern and not a mistake when it occurs repeatedly. I have distanced myself from several people in my life that were leaves or branches and I thought they would have been roots. I found out the hard way that they are toxic to me. Just because someone has been a friend for years or is a family member does not mean they are automatically a root. It is important to know the difference; they can be leaves or branches. I am valuable. I deserve peace. I am important. I choose to forgive. I choose what is best for me.