Horrific crime leads to a apps for peace and forgiveness

If you want to know how to turn a horrible event into something positive, talk to Sue Henry. In 2012, her 72-year-old father was attacked in his home in Australia, severely beaten and later died. The attacker was eventually charged, convicted and sent to prison. Sue’s effort to deal with her conflicting emotions led her to create a website, blog and mobile apps called I Forgive You.

“What was left I realised was for me to be at peace with what had happened,” Sue writes on the site. “ I had to find it in my heart to forgive him. And it wasn’t something I was ready to share openly with my family or friends because I still couldn’t make sense of it, so I began to write things down. I wrote whenever something came to me, even if it was a small thing – for example “I forgive you for being a criminal” , “I forgive myself for harbouring thoughts of anger” .

I Forgive You invites users to record similar messages of forgiveness, gratitude, love, apology, thoughtfulness. The website also includes a blog and a list of resources for counseling and support services. The apps are free to download at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

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Written by Ric Manning

Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.