Forgiveness?

Within hours of writing the last post (see below), I received a phone call from a one-time friend who just got out of jail. DD was an intimate and important part of "The Gathering" from its inception, and we had great plans for him. We each invested money, time, encouragement and personal contacts in this "rising star". But instead of shining, he fell, losing his job, all his possessions and our respect along the way.

So, he called Friday night, not asking for anything but our forgiveness, still proclaiming his innocence of the charges filed against him, but confessing and admitting his mistakes and poor choices which headed him in that direction. I don't know if he'll follow up and return to us, eventually, but his return will test our (my) capacity to forgive. The world is watching!