Forgiveness

Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offence or debt'.The concept and benefits of forgiveness have been explored in religious thought, the social sciences and medicine. Forgiveness may be considered simply in terms of the person who forgives including forgiving themselves, in terms of the person forgiven and/or in terms of the relationship between the forgiver and the person forgiven.(1)

Blah, blah, blah...

Forgiveness is hard. That is the plain truth. When we are wronged it is no easy task to pardon the wrong-doer. We are hard-wired to protect ourselves, and when we are compromised in any way our instinct is to come to our own defense. We are driven to insure we cannot be invaded again. We might become unyielding and rigid toward the wrong-doer, no matter how they try to make amends. If the wrong is wrong enough, we might even become suspicious of others we fear could harm us in the same way. Some go through their entire lives harboring resentment for a wrong-doing done unto them many years ago, afraid to let others in for fear of more inflected pain. In doing so we are cheating ourselves of our own freedom; freedom to be. We are locking ourselves away from others, not allowing for the natural course of things.

If we are on guard every minute there is no room for enjoyment.

You never have to forget. But you must come to terms with forgiveness. You must allow people to be human. You must allow yourself to be human. Harboring resentment can lead to very unhealthy living-mental and physical.

Allow yourself the freedom to forgive. Allow yourself the freedom to live. Keep yourself safe, but never shut people out. Allow them the freedom to be human and the freedom to know you as an open Being.

(1)From Wikipedia.com