"Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

Truth. Did I even know the meaning of the word anymore? There had been none in my marriage since John's affair with this girl started two years ago. The man I loved and shared a bed with every night turned our life into a complete lie. My gaze shifted to John as he sat next to his other court-appointed attorney, Mr. Martinez. John had lost so much weight that he looked skeletal. I realized he was wearing the gray suit I'd bought him for Christmas, but it was baggy and hung on him as if he were a young boy in his daddy's clothes. The thirteen months in county jail waiting for trial had changed him. The man I married was handsome and athletic with stunning blue eyes, but in his place sat someone I barely recognized, a gaunt and broken soul who had orchestrated his own destruction. He slumped over, clutching a wadded tissue as he wept.

"Ma'am?" The bailiff waited for an answer.

"I do." All eyes were on me as I settled into the witness box. I Could hear the judge writing on a legal pad. I wondered if anyone else had caught the irony of my last two words - the same words that began the testimony that could save him from life in prison.

Did you know that the first Sunday in August is Worldwide Forgiveness Day? If you have someone in your life who has betrayed you or hurt you in some way, consider freeing yourself from the pain. Letting go of the past opens the door for your spirit to heal. It is one of the most important gifts you could give to yourself.

For more information, go to my links page and click on the World Forgiveness Alliance.