1. Forgiveness & Reconciliation

2. He has ruined my past. I’m beginning to toy with the idea of forgiveness so that I don’t allow him to destroy my future as well.

3. Forgiveness: granting pardon and letting go of resentment and negative feelings Reconciliation: settling differences and repairing a relationship

4. Forgiveness Does not necessarily reestablish a relationship Does not obligate one to reconciliation Is foremost for the benefit of the person who has been harmed Is not a sign of weakness Can only be given by the person harmed Does not require forgetting Takes time and effort Needs a decision to forgive

5. Forgiveness is the heart’s capacity to release its grasp on the pains of the past and free itself to go on. Forgiveness is giving up the idea of a better past.

6. Reconciliation Reflects the mutual interests of two parties Requires a willingness to reengage in the relationship Requires rebuilding a bridge to span the chasm between the parties

7. Bridging the chasm requires Truth (courage to speak and hear it) Forbearance (refraining from revenge or punishment) Empathy (especially by the person harmed) Commitment to one another

8. Ponder the last paragraph in the book