Mrs. Cratchit has a grudge against Scrooge. For good reason. Scrooge makes Bob's life absolutely miserable, and, by extension, her family's life, as well. Scrooge doesn't pay Bob a living wage, and therefore keeps the Cratchit household in poverty. Her children wear hand-me-downs, and their Christmas dinner is paltry, barely enough to feed everyone. That's why Mrs. Cratchit hates Scrooge. Scrooge perpetuates her misery.
Of course, Bob, being practically a saint (like me), tries to point out the error of his wife's attitude. It doesn't do any good to hold grudges against anybody. All that Mrs. Cratchit's anger accomplishes is to cast a shadow on the Cratchit family Christmas. It makes her unhappy.
Yesterday, when I got home from grocery shopping, my son was on his Hot Wheel in front of our house. I was still pretty angry about the broken TV, and I had every intention of letting him know it. I stepped out of my car, and my son immediately started saying, "Sorry I broke the TV. Sorry I broke the TV. I sorry I broke the TV. Sorry. Sorry I broke the TV. I sorry. Daddy, I sorry I broke the TV. Sorry. Sorry."
It immediately disappated my anger and made me realize how ridiculous I was being. My anger was useless. It was only making me miserable, nobody else. There's a reason Jesus says to love your enemies. First, it makes you a better person. Second, it takes the power away from your enemies. They no longer control your life. The third, unspoken bonus of loving your enemies is that it may just piss them off and make them feel really shitty. I know my son's apology made me feel about as big as a flea. It brought me back down to earth from Planet Anger.
That's the wisdom I wish to impart today. If you hold on to anger instead of letting go, you simply look like an asshole.
It took Saint Marty a lifetime to learn that lesson.
Confessions of Saint Marty
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