"Forgiveness is like a bridge. It carries you over an expanse to the other side of life that is softer, kinder, easier to bear. It is a shift of perspective, 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."

This helpful view of forgiveness comes from Karyn D. Kedar, senior rabbi at Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in the Chicago area and author of Dance of the Dolphin: Finding Prayer, Perspective and Meaning in the Stories of Our Lives. Through a mix of stories, prayers, and poems, she sheds light on the process of forgiveness as a path to finding God and wholeness. Chapters cover moving through loss, anger, acceptance, learning, and restoration. This journey begins with choice and ends with perpetual crossings: there is no end to new discoveries.

Here are some of the ways in which Kedar describes forgiveness:

• It is the choice of love over fear.
• It is like the mysterious call of the night — a call to awaken that which sleeps deep in your soul.
• It is light restored.
• It is not to condone or forget. It is the message that goodness can triumph over evil.
• It demands a shift of attention.
• It says "yes" to living.
• It is the intricate dance through pain and anger and loss. Let hope be your partner. Let joy take the lead.
• It is learning to come to terms with the story of your life and releasing the pain of the past.
• It lives in the soul that wonders.
• It is to see the difference between protection and isolation.
• It offers you stillness. It is the silence behind the quiet.