I read a profound story of a man who held onto bitterness and hatred of his mother for 24 years because she and an accomplice beat to death his father. For 24 years the son never visited her in prison and was filled with severe hate for her.. She was on death row and after 24 years he went to face her and told her mother I forgive you. It was the most profound healing experience for both of them. This is Christmas 2013 and many of you such as me struggle with bitterness and unforgiveness towards others. This time of year is especially sad for me because of past sad memories of my mother who abandoned me as a tiny six week old baby, who drank alcoholically while I was in her womb  ( I was born with alcohol fetal syndrome ) and my father raised me and my brother alone. He was a violent abusive alcoholic, cussing and beating me allot. Two years ago I planted his ashes in the cemetery and I actually dug his grave and I still had anger and unforgiveness as I broke the dirt to place him in . Last year I came to terms with it realizing in his struggling life he was abandoned and abused as a child and this man gave me life as my mother did, so I needed to honor them and thank God they gave me life as I recently read the story of a man who forgave his mother on death row after 24 years I was ready to give my parents the grace through forgiveness that they did not deserve but I needed..