June 12: A Daughter’s Forgiveness

Emmy Award-winning journalist Rita Cosby wrote a best-selling book called Quiet Hero about her father Richard’s World War II past in Poland—and the emotional wounds that allowed him to abandon their family years later without showing a shred of remorse.  Because Rita’s mother had always encouraged her to forgive him, she found the strength to hear his side of the story.

Though Richard Cosby was reluctant to talk about his past, he finally opened up to his daughter, revealing that he was 13 when the Nazis bombed Warsaw.  He became a part of the Polish resistance and the Warsaw Uprising.  A devastating incident occurred when many of his friends were killed in a tank explosion. Richard made the choice to block out the emotion of the loss and continue fighting for his country.

Following these revelations, Richard told Rita, “Please forgive me.  I had to block everything out.  I’m sorry if I carried that over into the way I handled myself as a father.”  From that moment on, father and daughter were reconciled.

Choose to forgive those who hurt you.

There is forgiveness with You. (Psalm 130:4)

Give me the courage to forgive, Merciful Savior.