Sep 24 , 2022
By Eden Sahle
As we navigate life, being hurt by others is inevitable. Often, we find ourselves in a position where we have to forgive. Still, forgiving the person who killed a loved one is entirely different. To many of us, that would seem an impossible decision. But not for a couple I know.
Their child got killed by an intoxicated driver in broad daylight. They swallowed their unimaginable pain and forgave him, astonishing everyone who knew them. They did not want to press charges against the man who fled the crime scene instead of offering help to the little girl he fatally hit with an automobile. He was a young Ethiopian-born diaspora who was on vacation in Addis Abeba when he took away their precious girl when she was on her way back home from school. The crime happened under the watch of her teenage brother, who escaped the accident but was left traumatised after the loss of his younger sister.
The fatal accident has devastated everyone who knows the family. People were looking forward to seeing the man behind bars. As much as I was in disbelief that the adorable little girl was no longer alive, I could not comprehend the type of mentality it takes to forgive someone for such a crime. Showing mercy to someone who caused the death of a loved one is uncommon. Instead, such loss drives people to acts of revenge.
As a person still struggling with the loss of her father, I understand the indescribable grief that engulfed them unexpectedly. But their forgiveness has taught me a profound new lesson. They have made an incredible twist to the tragedy. Their mercy was equally as staggering as the accident itself. But to a family known for their kindness and care, it was just another act of kindness.
While everyone expected them to get busy with court litigation to make the man responsible, they dedicated their time to looking after their traumatised teenage son and protecting the memory of their daughter. They shook off some of their debilitating sorrow, and channeled their grief towards forgiveness and healing.
Life tests in ways that can either overcome or drown us. There is no more uncertain journey than life itself. Each day is a way to discover where nothing is familiar for the most part. We have to manage our way through the unknown of every day, hoping to reach the other side to maturity and progress. In hurting, there is no other way out but to break out to heal and forgive, mostly for our sake.
The family could have chosen to let the young man serve jail time, but they let him go in kindness. They were convinced that his sentencing would not bring them healing or comfort. They believed it would spoil their happy memory about their little girl. It was their way of ending the cycle of brokenness, anger and hate. It is an extraordinary decision that will remain with them for life.
They still speak about their daughter passing at such a tender age with great sorrow. They are devastated that their little girl went before them. It saddens them that she never reached adulthood, graduated or got married.
At the same time, they condemn the criminal offence that robbed them of their little girl, who was the charm of her family. They are disappointed the man they forgave did not have the heart to help their child in the critical last minutes of her life. But they chose the high road and showed the man they were not like him. They were concerned about his future, although he did not care for their child.
If he is the kind of man who will learn, the family gave him a lifetime lesson. Even if he did not serve a jail term and left the country in peace, his crime and the mercy he received will be with him forever. The parent's story teaches reconciliation, brings profound healing and peace instead of an eye-for-an-eye. They advocated mercy. We ought to pay attention.
PUBLISHED ON
Sep 24,2022 [ VOL
23 , NO
1169]
Fortune News | Feb 15,2020
Radar | Dec 14,2019
Life Matters | Apr 03,2021
Sunday with Eden | Jul 20,2024
Commentaries | Jul 03,2021
Fortune News | Dec 26,2020
Fortune News | Jun 10,2021
Agenda | Aug 08,2020
View From Arada | Oct 10,2020
Radar | Nov 06,2021
Photo Gallery | 138502 Views | May 06,2019
My Opinion | 133990 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 130547 Views | Aug 21,2021
Photo Gallery | 128766 Views | Apr 26,2019
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Aug 23 , 2025
Banks have a new obsession. After decades chasing deposits and, more recently, digita...
Aug 16 , 2025
A decade ago, a case in the United States (US) jolted Wall Street. An ambulance opera...
Aug 9 , 2025
In the 14th Century, the Egyptian scholar Ibn Khaldun drew a neat curve in the sand....
Aug 2 , 2025
At daybreak on Thursday last week, July 31, 2025, hundreds of thousands of Ethiop...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
The fuel industry is facing its biggest shakeup in decades as federal regulators roll...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Two domestic companies, IE Networks and Liyana Healthcare, have emerged as the first...
Aug 23 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE
A new directive authorises state-run hospitals and clinics to outsource not only non...
The federal government has turned its attention to an unlikely export sector: healthc...
Loading your updates...