Am feeling the power behind the gift of forgiveness today.  Of recent, several occasions have arisen that put that powerful energy in front of me.  One, was from a situation several years ago that pierced my heart very deeply; truth is, it catapulted me into my heart that I found myself redefining my life.  Many profound questions were in front of me, such things as: "What am I doing?" "Am I living from a place of integrity?" "What have I done that brought this action into my life?" And probably most importantly, "How do I know who(m) to trust?"  That last question was the most powerful, since experiences when I was younger left me building very high, very thick walls around myself.  I knew from those earlier experiences, I could not offer much to enrich this world, my community, my family, and myself if I "revisited" that option.  If I was to take responsibility for my thoughts, words and actions, I had to pay attention to my human emotions, and the truth was, there was very deep pain in my heart that needed attention.  Being an action person, I did ceremonies to remove any negativity, any ill feelings, sought assistance from a professional, utilized homeopathic remedies, along with other alternative options such as breathing techniques, yoga, and many more.  And yet, my nighttime dreams brought the awareness of the unresolved pain smack dap back into my physical reality. I was trying to wish the painful experience away when it was the very thing I needed to embrace in order to learn from the event.
The power of prayer, meditation, unconditional love of others (along with the various actions mentioned above,) gave me the grace to move forward without reconstructing a wall and much wisdom has been gleaned from the experience.  Time is a key element as well.  It seems we want everything done now, when if we will take the time to touch the core teaching of the experience, freedom will be found.  (It saddens me how many people seek prescriptions that only masks the teaching and keep us from really living life!) We are all given the opportunity to take our experiences, seek someone that has experience assisting others to help us ask, with a gentle heart, what we are to learn from the event. Only then the teaching will become clear and forgiveness can once again free our heart.  We are never victims, only students of life!  A footnote: please use discretion when seeking someone to assist you, you wouldn't have your car repaired by someone who drives a vehicle that is ill kept, has smoke rolling out the back and bald tires! Interview them as you would anyone for whom you are asking to care for someone you love.