ABSTRACT
The word forgiveness stirs up powerful emotions, at any age. Not only do we
feel distress as we recall conflicts in the past and pain as we live with brokenness
in the present, we also worry about the future-that someone will cajole or
command us to forgive. We also fear having to surrender our pride or finding
ourselves back in harm’s way. Nothing is more important or more difficult
than forgiving, and in this research project, we discovered that forgiveness is a
core characteristic of interpersonal relationships in the lives of these spiritually
resilient older adults.