Would you forgive your former bully if they save your child's life?

[Anonymous]

My supervisor had a long grudge towards his HS bully, the ringleader. His bully used to punch him at times (mainly in the shoulders where no one can see any bruises), break his glasses, destroy his bike, humiliated him with his friends, shove his head on the toilet, etc.

He was terrified of that guy and then hated his guts. At some point he wished death on him. A decade later, the guy apologized but my supervisor cursed him out. Then by May 2020, his child (age 7) had an accident, had to get surgery and then a blood transfusion. The issue was his blood is a very rare type. Luckily they found a donor with his same blood type. The donor turned out to be his former bully. He helped out with some of the hospital bills too.

Both guys are now 36 year-olds and the bully was totally forgiven after that. According to my supervisor, there is no greater gift than seeing your child happy and healthy again. Now he feels bad for wishing him dead. The guys are friends by now.

Would you forgive your former bully if they save your child's life? If you know very well your child would've been dead if it weren't for them.

Yes

No

Updates

+1 y

It was a shock to him when he found out who the donor was. The very same person that ruined his best years of his life... was the same person that saved his child's life.

After their HS graduation, the bully did felt terrible for everything. Ever since he's been always having his blood drawn and saved it in case he and others with the rare blood type need it.

[Koppi00]

Feeling are useless if they get in the way of what's important. Your supervisor thought that his child's life was the most important and decided to forgive and forget. Maybe on the basis of "we were just kids back then". However he wants to deal with his relationships is fine.
This story has a wattpad feel to it.

[Asker]

yeah it was enough for him that his child is alive and well again to the point his miserable HS years didn't matter anymore. It basically override it by a lot.

[dandee55]

Nice story.
To answer the question, I forgive no matter what. No ifs or buts. I forgave those who bullied me. Because if you don't forgive, you won't be forgiven. (Matthew 6:15) And holding a grudge hurts yourself more than them.

[Asker]

Yeah it took his child's life to make him realize he was acting no better than the bully for holding grudges and wishing him dead. It's interesting how a life changing event can soften someone.

[Danish87]

For parents nothing is above their childrens. So yes when someone saved his/her life they are like God to them.
So though he was bullied but forget because that person saved his child life.

[Asker]

I find that interesting; that a parent can place their hurt feelings from getting bullied aside afterwards. The word he described it was lik this: at that moment he was praying for a miracle, for God to please save his child. Then when they found the donor, he felt that God heard his pray and sent an angel.

He vowed that whoever that person was.. is the angel he'll forever be grateful for. Then when he found out, that guy was like an angel to him by then.