on forgiveness and apology

"To err is human; to forgive, divine"--Alexander Pope

"Never ruin an apology with an excuse"--Benjamin Franklin

"Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way."--Gordon B. Hinckley

"The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of soul to do either--or both--when needed?"--Gordon B. Hinckley

Gracious living depends on apologies and forgiveness. We're not perfect, and because of that our character relies on the words I'm sorry. Gracious people own up to their mistakes and refuse to shift blame. They forgive wholeheartedly and don't allow wrongs done against them hold them back. I don't want to imagine a world without apologies.

This post is part of a 31-day series on gracious living. You can find the other posts here.