forgiving our fathers by dick lourie maybe in a dream…
““forgiving our fathers by dick lourie maybe in a dream: he's in your power you twist his arm but you're not sure it was he that stole your money you feel calmer and you decide to let him go free or he's the one (as in a dream of mine) I must pull from the water but I never knew it or wouldn't have done it until I saw the street-theater play so close up I was moved to actions I'd never before taken maybe for leaving us too often or forever when we were little maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage or making us nervous because there seemed never to be any rage there at all for marrying or not marrying our mothers for divorcing or not divorcing our mothers and shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness shall we forgive them for pushing or leaning for shutting doors for speaking only through layers of cloth or never speaking or never being silent in our age or in theirs or in their deaths saying it to them or not saying it - if we forgive our fathers what is left””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A complex meditation on forgiveness, power, and parental relationships, questioning what remains after absolution.
In simple terms: Forgiving fathers raises deep emotional questions.
Key Takeaway
Consider what forgiveness truly releases.
Themes
forgiveness
family
psychology
dreams
identity
Mood
reflective
somber
introspective
Type
Dreams:1
Forgiving:1
Money:0
Parenting:1
Forgive Fathers:1
Saying Forgive:0
Shall Forgive:0
Forgiving Fathers:1
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- family counseling
- personal reflection
- creative writing
Key Concepts
parental dynamics
memory
inner conflict
emotional release
Questions to Reflect On
- What does forgiveness change for you?
- How do dreams shape our feelings toward parents?
A Different Perspective
Forgiveness may not resolve underlying resentment.