Even after all of these years – Little Miss Josi, my rescue baby, still doesn’t have a firm grasp on the concept of “doing her business outside”.

Generally (actually, always) that’s MY fault – for either not getting her outside soon enough or leaving her outside long enough.

What she has developed lately, though, is the “talent” to come up to me immediately afterwards, sit, hang her cute little puppy head in shame and look at me with those big puppy dog eyes as if to say “Mom, I did a bad thing just now”.

Of course, by that time, it’s too late to scold her.

The “deed” is already done.

So I just clean up the mess and…this is the important part here…. I forgive her.

I’m certainly not going to “love her less” because her tiny puppy bladder couldn’t wait another three minutes. And my day, our day, is too important and joy filled for me to spend the next however how many hours haranguing her over her mistake – or in these cases – beating myself up for not attending to her in a more timely fashion.

No matter what your spiritual leanings are, the broader concept of forgiveness when we, or someone we love, makes a boo-boo is a powerful, powerful thing.

Holding unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will succumb to it.

And, no matter what your spirituality or faith, forgiveness – the knowing that no matter our transgressions, we can be forgiven them can make a huge difference in our lives.

We don’t have to bear the burden of our wrongdoings – we needn’t beat ourselves up for them regularly. We acknowledge them, strive to do better in the future and, most importantly, extend that same love and forgiveness to others.

Forgiveness. Worth contemplating this weekend, don’t you think?