“Forgiveness isn’t a line you cross, it’s a road you take.”

I like that, sometimes you can’t get there from here. Life might be too short. The road does have a beginning and a middle. It starts with a proper confession and with being truly sorry for what you have done. Then there are a few of steps in the middle like making a honest effort to not make the same mistake again and doing everything you can to fix any damage you have caused. This is where the apology comes in, not in the beginning. In the beginning it the confession, that admission and acceptance of guilt. The apology is part of the fixing the damage, you can’t really make a proper apology until after you have begun to reform. Too often this phase is rushed to try and get early forgiveness. That does not really work for serious mistakes. You have to establish a track record of reformation and amends. If you make mistakes that you can’t fully repair, amends will never be complete then you might not be forgiven until after you have done all you can be expected to do which is when you are either dead or so incapacitated that nothing more can be expected.

Few can or will walk that road most are too weak and greedy.

TEK