Watching the movie about Mr. Rogers, played by Tom Hanks, a lot of questions may come up for you regarding anger and forgiveness. The movie focused on one person’s anger, processing that anger with Mr. Rogers, then letting go, allowing forgiveness to come about. One scene with the mom telling her son that “he’s holding on to anger that she doesn’t need any more; she knew he held on to it for her.
It is so easy to hold on to anger, that which is ours and that which is not ours. It is even easier to blame another when we may have had a part, but deep down the anger we hold on to may be towards ourselves, our actions, our non-actions, decisions so innocent in the moment but larger, having more meaning to them now as we look through our adult eyes. But just as then we are so now, no answers, no quick fixes if any at all, stuck in time with only unanswered questions and don’t forget the ever-present anger.
We might ask ourselves….” Am I holding on to my own anger or someone else’s anger, can I let it go, can I forgive?”
Life is not a movie, not a series of scenes we move through that has a perfect ending or may not even have the best or even the right ending. But that is where we can start. Ask yourself, “when did the anger begin?” Wouldn’t it be so simple to go back in time and start over, erase the moment in time when our anger started to build? Simple yes, but in reality, no.
I won’t give away the ending to the movie, but isn’t it funny how something is brought to our attention from something as simple as a movie.
If you are holding onto anger that is no longer serving a purpose, call Three Rivers Counseling and Consulting to schedule a fifteen-minute consultation for more information or to schedule an intake appointment with one of our providers, please call us at 334-245-9921 or use our Appointment Request feature. One of our licensed professional counselors will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for reading!