I was late to pick up my niece, stuck at a red light for the third time. Then I saw why: a police officer was helping an elderly woman cross the street slowly and carefully. She wore a heavy brown coat and carried a heavy tote.
The officer matched her pace, smiling gently. It was a small moment, but it moved me—and I may have shed a tear. Then she looked directly at my car and raised her hand to wave.
My heart dropped. It was Maribel—the woman my brother Mateo had hit with his car twelve years ago.After the accident, Maribel forgave Mateo in court and asked for leniency. She never sued him.
Mateo struggled with guilt and his drinking afterward and eventually moved away. Maribel disappeared from our lives. Now here she was, fragile but kind, walking slowly down the street.
I called her name, and she recognized me immediately. We talked briefly about Mateo—he’s sober now and trying to rebuild his life. She shared how she read a letter he wrote her over and over while recovering.
Though she could have resented him, she chose forgiveness and kindness instead. As she held my hand before leaving, she said, “Tell him I’m still proud of him.” I promised I would. That day taught me the power of forgiveness—and that some people carry our pain to help us heal, not to punish us.
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