Life wounds us in countless ways. An alcoholic parent. An absent parent. An abusive older relative. A neighborhood bully. Poverty. A teacher who vents her frustration on her students. An illness or physical loss. The death of loved ones. Racism. The betrayal of a spouse. The loss of a job. Homophobia. The loss of our sense of faith. Violence. We throw up wall after wall to guard ourselves, to wall off the pain, and we accomplish numbness. We become cynical. Forgiveness is how we reclaim our loving hearts. We can’t be healthy people unless we know and practice the spiritual art of forgiveness.