This question was a really hard one for me. Not because I couldn't come up with an answer - that was actually really easy. But, I wasn't sure if I wanted to write about it and share it with everyone who stumbles across this little blog.
When people say that they're sorry, and you accept their apology, some people automatically assume that they are forgiven. But, I've learned that there are some things in life that take more than a simply apology. Some things require time. Time to forgive. Time to move past whatever happened. And to a point, time to forget. That's something that is really difficult for me to do. I'm one of those people who remember all the little details. I'm one of those people that question all of the "what ifs" that could have prevented things from happening. But, with time, I learn to accept that what has happened has happened, and I can't change the past. However, I can choose to move forward, learn from mistakes and experiences, and grow from them.
After debating it back and forth inside my head, I've decided that I'm not going to discuss what it is that I've forgiven. I know it might sound like a cop-out, but this is something that I know is right for me. It's not going to do me any good to rehash the details of a past offense. And its really no one else's business but mine and the person who committed the offense. Besides, if the offense has truly been forgiven, which it has, then it makes the most sense to move on.
I found this quote from an unknown source, and I think it sums things up perfectly...
"Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future."
So true. Sometimes you have to decide between letting it go or keeping those people in your life. Forgive but don't forget!
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