Happy Bastille Day! Some people refer to it as French Independence Day. Much like Americans celebrate the 4th of July, the French celebrate the 14th of July. You may think of it as just a French thing, but when you realize that Lafayette presented the key to the Bastille as a present to George Washington, the meaning of what happened starts changing.
When you visit Mount Vernon, you can see the cherished artifact mounted on the wall in a special place. A case was custom built to house the cherished key. If George Washington considered it special, perhaps there are lessons to be learned from that key to the Bastille.
If I was historically accurate, Bastille Day started out as a huge prison break. The mobs stormed the prison and took it over. It was an ugly event.
Although I wouldn’t consider a mob storming the State Prison in Huntsville a celebratory event, something was different about this one in Paris. By freeing the prisoners, it became a cause for celebration.
The meaning of the Bastille and what happened has changed over time. Now what happened that day is celebrated and a reason for a holiday.
Historically, the Bastille affair was ugly. Over time, the meaning of what happened changed. It went from an dark episode to one that is now celebrated.
In a similar way, the affair was ugly. There were terrible things done and said. The meanings associated with it are unpleasant ones as far as you’re concerned.
What can change meanings of ugly events so drastically?
The answer lies in ‘forgiveness’. Forgiveness does not erase what happened. There’s nothing that will. Forgiveness is a key that unlocks hearts and doors.
Even medications and electroshock don’t change the unpleasant events. They make them harder to recall, but they don’t change them.
The only thing that changes the meaning of those events is ‘forgiveness’. It’s not by mistake that the 19th century masterpieces, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities, which both have episodes related to the events of the Bastille also focus on forgiveness as a theme of their books.
They learned the lesson of the Bastille which is about the transformative power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness changes people. It changes the meanings of bad events. It changes your world.
Perhaps it’s time you learned what the Bastille can teach you about forgiveness as well. Bastille Day is a great time to start. The video, “Forgiveness: Stop the Pain, Tear down the walls and Remove the roadblocks” shows you how to get started on that transformation.
Imagine how what happened can be transformed into something you’ll eventually be able to celebrate with your spouse.
Best Regards,
Jeff
