Discussion Director Paragraph

By Evelyn Choi, period 1

Finding forgiveness is the key to becoming a happier person. First of all,
forgiveness allows you to be free from holding a grudge. In Out of the Dust, a
historical fiction verse book by Karen Hesse, Billie Jo, states that, As we walk
together, side by side, in the swell of the dust, I am forgiving him, step by step,
for the pail of kerosene.(page 206). After she forgives her father for placing a
pail of kerosene on the stove (which later killed her mother) Billie Jos life
changes for the best and she becomes happier. Also, forgiveness makes you
healthier. The Mayo Clinic says that Forgiveness can lead to: Healthier
relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety, stress and
hostility, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, stronger immune
system, improved heart health, and higher self-esteem. Not forgiving can cause you to
hold a grudge and be angry, which results in you becoming unhealthy. Finally,
forgiveness helps you learn lessons for the future. In Out of the Dust, Billie Jos father
learns that he should try new things as crops after he forgave his daughter for running
away because of their struggling to feed themselves. She says, Daddy said hed try
some sorghum, maybe some cotton, admitting as how there might be something to this
notion of diversification (page 226). From keeping you healthy to helping you learn
something, forgiveness proves that it is the key to happiness.