Forgiveness

To forgive means to grant pardon for an offense or a debt. It could also mean to cease feeling resentment against something or someone. It should never be confused with the word forget. A lot of people do. The saying "Forgive and Forget" is not really accurate. One can forgive but can they truly forget? Probably not especially if it was something really traumatic for the offended party. One should never forget. Forgetting opens up for the same situation to happen again. This would turn into a vicious cycle.

Forgiveness is a gift one doesn't give to anyone but to oneself. It is not an emotion but a choice. Dwelling on an issue causes resentment and resentment begets hate. Having all these negative emotions is not healthy for anyone especially to oneself. One goes down the road of loathing and becomes counter-productive.

By forgiving, one makes the conscious decision of letting go of the resentment, hate and all the other negative emotions in oneself. The offending situation or person may not deserve it but as discussed, it is a gift one give to oneself. So for those who are in this situation, one may want to think about this. The heaviness one feels being lifted off one's chest is worth it. Or just the peace of mind that follows.

Remember.. to err is human, to forgive divine.

To forget is just plain foolish.