No matter how wronged I may feel, and no matter how strong the temptation, the public forum is not the place to confront a critic. It gives me a lopsided advantage that too often results in a biased presentation of my side of the story without an opportunity for a fair rebuttal. Forgive one at a time I wish I could say I've found the formula for forgiveness that works the first time, every time. Forgiveness isn't something I can do once, then it's all over. The length of the forgiveness process is usually proportionate to the severity of the pain I've experienced.
Forgiveness is more like writing a book than writing a letter.
When I write a letter, I put my thoughts on paper, sign it, seal the envelope, and send it. Writing a book involves what seems an endless cycle of writing and rewriting. But when the offense is severe, the process of forgiveness can be equally severe. I learned more about the process of forgiveness than I wanted to know. The entire process took close to two years.