Potato Story

To illustrate the weight of carrying a grudge, a teacher is said to have told her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school. For every person or offense they had refused to forgive in their life’s experience, they were to choose a potato, record the name or incident on it, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of their bags were quite full.

Then they were instructed to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, to put it in their backpacks or book bags at school, to have it near them at mealtimes, and beside their beds at night.

In short order, the students recognized the hassle of lugging this around with them, not to mention the deteriorating condition of its contents. The exercise was a great metaphor for the price we pay for clinging to our resentments and negativity. Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to another person, when it clearly is also for ourselves.

So, what’s in your backpack?

(Published with thanks to many unattributed versions of this story from the Internet.)