Self-forgiveness

I was walking along a sand roadon the West Coast of Florida, when an answer came to me.
I suddenly said to myself, "I want everybody whom I hate or fear,everybody who has ever injured me, or whom I may have injured -- I want them all to be as happy as I want to be.
I want them to be happy right now, wherever they are."
And then I thought of a couple of people and named them out loud.
It was as if a black bird flew suddenly out of my heart.
I felt a wonderful sense of peace,and my eyes filled with tears. . .
I slowly stopped fearing these people . . .
I forgave them forever, and I slowly began to forgive myself.
This self-forgiveness brought new self-respect. . . I didn't hate myself as I had.

"At Last No Longer Apart" -- Big Book Stories --Updatedc.
1967 The AA Grapevine, Inc., November 1967, Vol. 24 No. 6