Dear editor:

I was really moved oy Mark Davis’ column in the Opinion page of the Nov. 4 edition of the Powell Tribune. He wrote that several friends in his past had died from alcoholism and admitted to feelings of regret and shame due to his “hypocrisy” and misunderstanding of those friends’ weaknesses.

Who among us does not live with regrets from things we have done or have not done, or feelings we have had in our lives?

We all tend to blame ourselves for the “woulda,” “coulda” and “shoulda” things in our lives that we see as our failures towards others. And I can certainly identify with that.

Mr. Davis, in admitting his difficulty in forgiving himself, is speaking to us all, or probably to many of us. My admiration and respect for him has grown tremendously after reading his article.

Please know, Mr. Davis, that when you ask the Lord for forgiveness you will receive it. And he wants you to forgive yourself. He knows your heart and your soul.

Thank you for sharing your story. It must have been very difficult for you. But just know that it may have been a wake-up call to many of your readers to practice more kindness and understanding towards others. And, please, don’t be so hard on yourself. We learn from our mistakes. And, after all, you are only human.

Sincerely,

Linda K. Berry

Powell