Ken and Abby met at a business conference and really hit it off. They flirted, laughed, kissed and made love. Once. They were both married to others at the time and the affair went no further. Ken asked his wife Shelle to forgive him.  

“Forgiveness is like a bridge. It carries you over an expanse to the side of life that is softer, kinder and easier to bear. It is a shift of perceptive, a new way of seeing our world, a different way of experiencing our inner life.

If life is really a journey, then forgiveness is a main avenue, a path to life renewed. And along the way, there are stepping-stones to carry you through loss, anger, acceptance, forgiveness, learning and restoration. With each step, a new perspective is gained.”  

-Bridge to Forgiveness, By Karyn D. Kedar

Shelle was angry and hurt by Ken’s betrayal, but eventually she forgave him. She followed the path of forgiveness, crossed the bridge and arrived (finally) at the corner of faith and contentment.
Forgiven for Good

There's a reason the sun rises anew each day.
Every day is a completely clean slate.
Cherry-picking bad memories
and rolling them around in my head all day,
it's hard to remember that I'm already forgiven.
Forever. For good.

Somehow I seem to think
I've got to make amends in perpetuity,
that I need to keep re-living my mistakes
till it blocks the blessings from coming in.
But happiness is really just a habit;
a decision to accept grace and embrace joy.

Make me a work in progress
who actually acknowledges the progress I've made
and the work we've done together. -Ruth Williams