Living in a state of grace, at least some of the time, is important. Being grateful to everyone and everything washes away negative emotions, at least temporarily. You cannot be grateful and angry at the same time. It also brings us into the present moment where we rejuvenate. Living in a state of grace is joyous. It is a subtle joy that is not excited, flows continuously, and is deeply healing. From grace flows love, an unconditional love that is not dependent on expectation of anything in return. The love is imbued with wisdom. In fact, regardless of how the other person treats us, our hearts are open to love them. Of course, in potentially abusive situations we must protect ourselves. At the same time, we recognize the suffering the abusive person is bringing on him / herself. In this we can even love them, while protecting ourselves.