By Mary Larsh, Columnist
Certain memories tend to resurface during the holidays.
Year after year families tell the same stories, even if the stories aren’t always nice.
Forgiving and forgetting should be remembered during the holidays as well as throughout life.
My Dad still talks about the day he came home to find that his sister threw away his favorite childhood toys, including several G.I. Joes, a G.I. Joe Jeep, a Captain America action figure, and Johnny West’s ranch and his horse.
He can recount this story as if it happened yesterday.
From then on, Dad seemed to hold a grudge against his sister for selfishly throwing away his childhood memories without his permission.
Conversations concerning people holding grudges seem to be a common trait at family gatherings.
Although my dad only retells his story to our immediate family, the practice of reliving past events seems to be more public for others.
At each Thanksgiving and Christmas, my boyfriend’s family ridicules his mother for crashing the family motorcycle when she was younger.
Even though my aunt and my boyfriend’s mother may have been forgiven for their actions, their actions definitely were not forgotten.
Families should follow the example of iconic boxers and rivals, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, this holiday season and bury the hatchet.
Dad grew up watching boxing with his father and now enjoys watching these same fights on ESPN Classics with my brother.
When Joe Frazier, or “Smokin’ Joe”, died Nov. 7, Dad came home talking about Muhammad Ali and Frazier’s rivalry in the early 1970s and their genuine dislike for one another.
“Frazier for decades resented the way the public embraced Ali and held a grudge for decades over how Ali vilified him in the run-up to their first fight,” according to Canada.com.
Ali insulted Frazier by calling him an “Uncle Tom” and a “gorilla,” yet later in life the pair forgave each other.
“At the 30th anniversary of their first fight, with Ali’s health fading, the men hugged and made up.”
In a 2006 interview with The Inquirer, Frazier said, “I forgive him, and it’s up to the Lord now to do the rest of it. If I’ve done something wrong to you or said something wrong, I’m sorry. I hope he accepts that.”
Ali attended Frazier’s funeral to show his respect and to honor him as a boxer and a man.
It is important to forgive earlier in life rather than later.
Our family, as well as others, should strive to be more positive and not dwell on the past.
Dad should take a cue from his late childhood hero “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier and remember to not only forgive, but also forget.
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