Forgiveness. To stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake. How can such a simple word and term determine the feelings we have for someone for the rest of our lives? How can something so complex and difficult boil down to a simple gesture of "forgiving" someone? A simple verb has the authority to effect how we see someone forever? I can't count the many of times I've sought for forgiveness. Everyday, someone, somewhere, is facing this simple battle to forgive someone. Everyday, someone, somewhere is abusing the after effect of forgiveness.

Throughout my entire life, forgiveness is a common gesture that I am courteous enough to toss around like candy on Halloween. Between family feuds to court orders, forgiveness has been the key essential to resolving almost all of my problems. Never have I ever been able to resolve my issues by posting a hateful status on Facebook, or spreading awful rumors about someone, or simply ignoring someone to the point where I forget they exist. These have actually made my problems seem a little worse, honestly.

A few years ago, I had a great friend and we did everything together. In high school, we sat at lunch together, we hung out after school, we played video games, we basically shared a life together. I knew I could tell her anything, and she could tell me anything. We basically got each other through trials of high school. What seemed like a few seconds into our friendship, she chose a relationship with a guy over our friendship, the one thing I valued more than life itself (In the time). I was completely devastated. It twisted and tore me apart.

Even after almost three years, I still had hate and misery in my heart. I couldn't trust anybody, and I reflected all of my relationship problems after that dreadful tragedy. I thought if I trusted someone else, they would leave. I didn't open to anyone, and it effected a few of the relationships I had went through. Up until a few weeks ago, I had forgotten my simple, courteous, common gesture of forgiveness. I taught myself a few things after my experience.

I learned that life shouldn't reflect over a mistake that someone else made. I learned that when you let go, you let all the weight of your shoulders that you've been holding on to for years. I learned to smile, laugh, and prepare myself for new life trials and new life experiments. I learned that forgiveness was much more than a term or verb. Forgiveness is more than an act of relief of resentment.

Forgiveness allowed me to see her in public, and not experience anxiety. Forgiveness allowed me to not feel that hate and resentment that overwhelmed my heart. Forgiveness allowed me to move on and let go. Forgiveness is a life achievement that no one but you can overcome for yourself.

So forgive your parents for not giving you the life you wanted. Forgive your teacher for giving you that F on that school project. Forgive that officer for giving you a citation. Forgive that ex that left you for someone else. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.