Hi, Michael,

I'm not going to refute your stance since I do respect and, to a certain extent, agree with you on most of your post.

Now, to understand why I forgave him. It was not to free him and give him a PASS...it was to free ME. You see, forgiveness is the way to free yourself of the power others hold over you. In forgiving others, you take back the power they took from you and reclaim it for yourself. I just simply chose not to remain in anger, disappointment, and disgust...and I did it for me. That is a healthy thing, just as my initial reaction was a healthy expression at the time. To hold on to the negatives is not progressive or life-affirming. It just builds tension and more negatives into one's life.

One can be outraged and fight for what one believes in without holding on to anger and other negative emotions. I know because I've done it...yet again... when I started this thread. It gives one an entirely different perspective on things even tho' it's often misunderstood by some others. Their problem, not mine.

Sandi Bowman