When we remember that the contrasts in our paths are there so that we might recognize our wounds and heal them, it becomes easier to see forgiveness as a necessary element in our spiritual growth.
Forgiving doesn’t mean what another person did was okay. It refers instead to the chance we give ourselves to release a painful weight when we choose not to allow a negative experience to rob us of our peace. I don’t remember who said this but one of my friend’s favorite definitions of forgiveness is: forgiveness is refusing to participate in the harm of another person’s action. When you forgive you disengage and initiate the release of your bottled-up anger, resentment, and even your sense of victimization.