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Forgiveness
Like many of you, I’ve been following the story of Orem boy, Bridger Hunt. Bridger was almost killed when a homemade firework severed his leg on the 4th of July. He is recovering and doing well. The man accused of maiming Bridger made an appearance in court today. Bridger’s mother was there and the Deseret News reported on the following exchange that took place:
After walking out of a Provo courtroom, the mother of 12-year-old Bridger Hunt wrapped her arms around the man whose homemade fireworks had nearly severed her son’s leg and told him they’re not angry.
“He really is OK, and I am OK,” Mindy Carter Shaw, Bridger’s mother, whispered to Craig Miller as they embraced. “I want you to know I don’t feel any anger at all. We’re gonna be OK. I don’t think you need to be made an example.”
Shaw also finds the charges excessive, and even Bridger told her that he “didn’t want that man to be in trouble,” she said.
“It’s OK to forgive and not to hate,” she said. “It doesn’t do any good for Bridger or me.”
During the emotional hug, Shaw told Miller she would be talking to prosecutors about leniency.
“It doesn’t help anyone if you go to jail,” she whispered.
If you’ve been following this story you know that Bridger will never walk normally again. You also know that his family does not have health insurance and they will be hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills.
This is an incredible example. Forgiveness is an amazing and empowering thing. I want to thank Bridger and his family for their excellent example.
I also read Bridger’s account of what he remembered from the event. He looked down at his body, saw blood, saw that his leg was almost severed. He thought he would certainly die but he didn’t want to alarm his friends. So he just said, “see you at the hospital dudes” or something. What courage and it’s moving that he was thinking of not worrying them instead of his own condition.
I dated a man who lost his wife and 3 of his 5 kids in a car accident a bit over a year ago. He did a similar thing - consoling the young man who caused the wreck. He forgave completely. That doesn’t mean it was easy to live with but he held no anger.
I wouldn’t have believed it - so soon after such a big loss. But Christmas Eve I was on the phone with him when my car hit black ice. I screamed as I lost control and spun on the freeway. I was in such shock I couldn’t speak for a while but he was still on the phone.
I knew from the way he handled it that he really had let it go. You’d think he would’ve lost it and relived everything. Instead he just wanted to help and was glad I was ok.
People really can heal - it’s amazing to witness - and sad to see when people choose not to.
Janet
Left by Janet Meiners Thaeler on 08/28/2008