Atonement

Atonement :(noun): Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.[taken from Dictionary.com]

I recently saw the movie Atonement and I liked it very much. Set around the time of 2nd World War, the story revolves around a 13 year old budding writer Briony who misinterprets her sister's(Cecilia) relationship with Cecilia's lover Robbie, and wrongly(but deliberately) accuses him of something he didn't do that lands him in jail;and her one lie changes the lives of the three forever. Cecilia becomes a nurse, Robbie joins army during the war as thats the only option given to him to get out of jail and Briony,buried in her guilt,eventually follows in her sister's footsteps becoming a nurse too, doing her share of penance. Tragically, Robbie and the Cecilia die,far away from each other, and Briony lives rest of her life with the guilt of what she did, forever looking for her atonement.

I thought it was a powerful story and was well presented. It did move me, significantly,and it had me thinking.

Have you ever done something so terrible that fills you up with grief, remorse, regret everytime you think of what you did, or even worse, everytime you open your eyes? Something so terrible that you wish that one day you get up and you just forget that it ever happened? Have you ?

I have.