Forgiveness

It's been a while since I read a book that wasn't a self help book. But last week I started to read the book "No Room For Vengeance" by Victoria Ruvolo and Robert Goldman (and Lisa Pulitzer) and I just finished it late last night. I believe that I bought this book in June 2021, which date I deduce from the date that I wrote at the beginning of the book in pencil. Don't know why it took me 2 years to get to it, but I'm glad I read it. I finished it last night, er today, at 12:15 am. (I've been thinking lately that I might need to start pulling late nights and/or early mornings if I want to get anything done from my personal wishlist/checklist). I remember hearing about this story in the new years ago. 

The book is mostly about Victoria and an unfortunate accident that came to her - 

"Holiday season 2004, A snowy night. Two friends driving home from a family event. Teenagers on a joy ride, out for a night of mischief. And an incident that makes front page new in New York and beyond." 

I liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, like from chapter 12 -

"It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution." - Oscar Wilde

Or this from chapter 14 - 

"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, and nothing is more difficult than to understand him." - Fyodor Dostoevsky

I'm so inspired by her compassion to look beyond her own pain and how her life was affected and to instead think of Ryan and how prison would affect him. She did not want him to emerge in 25 years from a long sentence and be left with little prospects in his own life for personal happiness or much opportunity to have a life that contributes to society. I think she acted in a way that was consistent with Christlike behavior and I KNOW that God is pleased with her! I wish there were more stories of forgiveness like this in the news. I hope that I would follow her example in similar circumstances. We can do it. We can choose kindness & forgiveness. 

"Everything we do and everything we give will eventually come back to us." - Vicky Ruvolo. 

That quote above reminds me of this quote from Bruce R. McConkie, in the book Mormon Doctrine, under the topic Book of Life - "

"In a real though figurative sense, the book of life is the record of the acts of men as such record is written in their own bodies. It is the record engraven on the very bones, sinews, and flesh of the mortal body. That is, every thought, word and deed has an effect on the human body; all these leave their marks, marks which can be read by Him who is Eternal as easily as the words in a book can be read.

"By obedience to telestial law men obtain telestial bodies; terrestrial law leads to terrestrial bodies; and conformity to celestial law - because this law includes the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost - results in the creation of a body which is clean, pure, and spotless, a celestial body. (D&C 88:16-32.) When the book of life is opened in the day of judgment (Rev. 20:12-15), men's bodies will show what law they have lived. The Great Judge will then read the record of the book of their lives; the account of their obedience or disobedience will be written in their bodies." 

I just learned that she died in 2019. This book was really good, a quick read, and touched me. I give it two thumbs up!

So that was good. I stayed up late reading, and finished it, then had a hard time falling asleep cause K was nursing the whole time, then at 3 AM I decided I was fed up and done with that, which Katharine didn't like, so then she started to scream her head off, so then I went out of our room (so that she wouldn't bother Corey, cause actually DOES need to get up and put in a full day of work) and I went into Abi's room where K and I layed down on the bottom bunk and K kept Abi and me awake while she cried until 4:30. The other kids said she woke them up too. When the alarm went off to go on a bike ride, I was happy to go. I think I had been building up a lot of pent up energy during those late night hours and was ready for that night to be over. I got up right away and told Corey I was going - we left earlier that usual (at 6:20) and Corey and I made it all the way up to the top of the trail! Yeah I must have been pretty ready to run cause I got another PR on the climb to the 2nd bridge! 26:05, also PR on Mile 2 - 15:22. I got a total of 11 achievements, lots of 2nd fastest times. Good stuff.  

So after got back, I did some cleaning and listened to podcasts before I teach church next Sunday, and I was also tired and took a nap with K while Peter watched Spidey and his amazing friends. Katharine, you weren't nice last night, but I'm not surprised, you are, after all, just a baby. I forgive you and I shall move on. Then there was violin and Owen's soccer practice, I'm glad that the school year is almost done. I think biking in the morning is good for our mental health. :)